By Abbas Nazil
Stakeholders in the disability and climate advocacy sectors have called for the integration of disability-sensitive early warning systems into Nigeria’s climate action framework to ensure that Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are not left behind during climate-related emergencies.
The call was made during a forum on the Disability-Inclusive Climate Action Project held in Abuja and organised by the Inclusive Friends Association (IFA), with support from Rise Up Together, an international organisation promoting gender justice and equity.
Participants at the forum stressed the need for systematic collection of disability-disaggregated data to strengthen climate interventions, improve policy formulation and ensure that climate adaptation measures adequately address the needs of people living with disabilities.
The stakeholders expressed concern that climate change continues to have a disproportionate impact on PWDs, who often face greater risks during disasters, extreme weather conditions and environmental crises due to barriers in accessing information, relief services and emergency support systems.
Executive Director of IFA, Grace Jerry, said millions of Nigerians with disabilities remain largely excluded from climate policies, disaster response frameworks and emergency preparedness plans.
She noted that the continued failure to mainstream disability issues into climate governance has left many vulnerable individuals, especially women and girls with disabilities, exposed to severe risks associated with climate change.
According to her, climate change has moved beyond being a future challenge and has become a present-day reality affecting communities across Nigeria.
She explained that flooding, prolonged heatwaves, environmental degradation and displacement are disrupting livelihoods and worsening the vulnerability of people with disabilities.
Jerry observed that despite carrying a significant share of the burden created by climate impacts, PWDs are rarely represented in discussions surrounding climate adaptation and resilience-building strategies.
She highlighted specific challenges faced by different disability groups during emergencies.
According to her, wheelchair users are often trapped by floodwaters, visually impaired persons may lose mobility aids during disasters, while people living with albinism face increased exposure to extreme heat conditions.
She argued that classifying all PWDs under the broad category of vulnerable populations often obscures their unique experiences and needs, resulting in interventions that fail to effectively reach them.
To address these shortcomings, she advocated the establishment of inclusive early warning systems capable of delivering critical information in accessible formats to all members of society.
Programme Manager of IFA and Rise Up Leader, Stephen Idoko, said the Disability-Inclusive Climate Action Project was initiated to address the unequal effects of climate emergencies on people with disabilities.
He explained that although several national climate policies acknowledge vulnerable populations and gender concerns, they provide limited guidance on practical approaches to disability inclusion.
According to him, the project seeks to identify policy gaps, strengthen inclusive climate governance and contribute to the development of a national framework that embeds disability considerations into climate action planning.
Climate Justice Advisor at ActionAid International, Friday Ogezi, noted that Nigeria already possesses a number of climate-related policy frameworks.
However, he maintained that implementation remains weak, particularly in the areas of inclusion and financing.
Ogezi said many policies recognise vulnerability without adequately explaining how climate change affects different categories of people with disabilities or outlining strategies to address their specific challenges.
He called for a transition from symbolic consultation to meaningful participation, insisting that PWDs must be actively involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of climate policies and programmes.
Also speaking at the forum, a representative of the Deaf Women Aloud Initiative, Kauna Gabriel, revealed that many hearing-impaired residents of flood-affected communities in Niger State were unaware of available early warning systems and government support programmes.
She attributed the situation to the absence of sign language interpretation and other accessible communication channels during emergency response efforts.
Gabriel said the communication gap contributed to significant losses among affected individuals, many of whom lost homes and property without receiving timely information or assistance.
She therefore urged government agencies and humanitarian organisations to deploy sign language interpreters and ensure that emergency information is provided in formats accessible to all persons with disabilities.
The stakeholders concluded that achieving climate resilience and effective disaster response in Nigeria would require deliberate efforts to place disability inclusion at the centre of climate planning, policy implementation and emergency communication systems.
