Special Needs Education: Not a Priority in the 2019 Appropriation Bill

Abstract

Persons With Disabilities (PWD) are among Nigeria’s most marginalized groups, resulting from socio-cultural norms and bias regarding disability as well as a lack of proactive government effort towards improving Special Needs Education. The Federal government, notably the Ministry of Education, has consistently overlooked the importance of reducing the existing education disparity faced by Persons With Disability, in contravention of its National Policy on Special Needs Education as well as the SDG goal 4.5. Against this backdrop, this information brief draws the attention of the legislature to the non-inclusion of projects specifically for Special Needs Education in the 2019 Appropriation Bill. The objective is to seek the reversal of this trend by emphasizing the need for proper funding and the provision of a legal framework for Special Needs Education in Nigeria.