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Some participants at News Central TV Town Hall in Delta State on Thursday, shared harrowing accounts of systemic discrimination, calling for legal action and urgent infrastructure reforms to support persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The event highlighted the stark contrast between the high academic achievements of PWDs and the physical and social barriers that continue to exclude them from the Nigerian workforce and education system.
Philomena Kowen, an accomplished para-athlete and scholar from Asaba, recounted how she was repeatedly denied employment in the banking sector despite her exceptional qualifications.
After winning a gold medal in wheelchair table tennis in 2002, Kowen earned a state-sponsored master’s degree abroad.
However, upon her return in 2005, she faced blatant bias.
In one instance, after scoring 100% on a recruitment exam, she was ignored by officials once they realised she was a wheelchair user.
“If I had known what I know now, I should have sued that bank,” Kowen stated, urging others to challenge such treatment through the legal system.
“…you are in fact one of the best here that we have interviewed, but the MD called us not to give it to you.”
Philomena Kowen says that, despite excelling academically and professionally, she faced repeated job rejections in the banking sector due to her disability.… pic.twitter.com/lzGUJIP1ck
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) March 26, 2026
The town hall also addressed the lack of inclusive education.
Ambassador Christie Uti, representing the Association of Indigent People with Disabilities Nigeria (AIDDN) in Edo State, detailed the struggles of seeking schooling for her son.
She described how private schools either rejected him to avoid “intimidating” other children or charged exorbitant fees for carers who ultimately neglected him.
Uti noted that her son is now forced to attend a government school with no chairs or windows, where he must crawl on dirty floors due to the lack of basic accessibility.
#NCTownHallSeries: “The proprietor of the school said, Madam, we can’t admit your son… He said he’s going to intimidate other children, that he will be a distraction for them.”
Christie Uti says she faced multiple challenges enrolling her son in school because of his… pic.twitter.com/45GYo0VaET
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) March 26, 2026
These testimonies underscore the gap between policy and practice in Nigeria regarding disability rights.
While speakers acknowledged that PWDs can achieve greatness when provided with an accessible environment, as evidenced by Kowen’s sporting and academic success, they concluded that true inclusion requires a “true solution” involving both enforced anti-discrimination laws and a massive overhaul of public infrastructure to ensure dignity for all citizens.
