Some of the blind people who were supported by Lion Club International during the outreach. Photo: Taiwo Bankole
A lawyer and disability rights advocate, Olayinka Komolafe, has called on the Federal and state governments to enforce disability laws, improve accessible infrastructure and promote the inclusion of visually impaired persons in governance and economic activities.
Komolafe made the call on Saturday while delivering a keynote address in Abeokuta, Ogun State, at an event to commemorate the 2026 International White Cane and Safety Day.
The event was organised by the Lions Club International, District 404B-4 Nigeria, Regions 10 and 11, Abeokuta axis, in partnership with the Nigeria Association of the Blind.
Speaking on the theme, “Knights of the Blind in the Modern Era: Championing Mobility, Digital Financial Access and Livelihood Inclusion for Persons with Visual Impairments,” Komolafe said the major challenge facing visually impaired Nigerians was not blindness itself but the institutional and environmental barriers restricting their independence.
The visually impaired legal practitioner urged the government to amend relevant constitutional provisions to promote the representation of persons with disabilities in decision-making.
He said their inclusion in governance would enable them to contribute to policies affecting their lives and ensure that their experiences and concerns were adequately addressed.
“The inclusion of persons with disabilities, especially the visually impaired, is what we seek from the government because nobody can tell our story better than us. We know what we feel and how it affects us. It is time for the Disability Rights Act of 2018, signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2019, to be fully enforced. The real darkness in Nigeria is not blindness—it is the systemic barriers that turn blindness into a disability,” he said.
Komolafe criticised the poor state of pedestrian infrastructure, noting that the distribution of white canes would not adequately address the challenges faced by visually impaired persons without safe walkways, tactile paving, accessible traffic signals and specialised orientation and mobility training.
Citing Section 5 of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, which provides for accessibility in public buildings and infrastructure, including pedestrian walkways, he lamented the inadequate enforcement of the law.
Komolafe also called on the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, to implement the state’s disability law enacted under the administration of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
He said effective implementation of the law would improve the living conditions of residents with disabilities and enable them to participate more fully in society.
On financial inclusion, Komolafe decried the inaccessibility of automated teller machines and mobile banking applications, saying the situation often forced visually impaired customers to rely on other people to conduct transactions.
According to him, such dependence could expose customers’ personal identification numbers and compromise their financial security.
He urged commercial banks to introduce accessible digital banking platforms, install appropriate assistive technologies and train their employees to serve customers with disabilities professionally.
On economic empowerment, Komolafe cited World Health Organisation data, which he said indicated that 80 per cent of visually impaired Nigerians lived in poverty due to unemployment and limited access to capital.
He called on government agencies, civil society organisations and development partners to expand access to vocational training, business financing and sustainable livelihood programmes for persons with visual impairments.
“The white cane is a symbol of independence, not a symbol of pity,” he said, urging visually impaired Nigerians to continue advocating for their rights and demanding the removal of barriers to equal participation.
Earlier, the Chairperson of the Association of the Blind in Abeokuta South, Olatayo Oluwatomisin, expressed appreciation for the confidence reposed in her leadership and commended members of the Lions Club in the Abeokuta axis for supporting the programme.
She urged members to believe in themselves and remain determined not to allow their circumstances to limit their aspirations.
Also speaking, the Chairperson of the Lions Club’s Sight and Vision Programme, Lion Mumeen Akinsanya, said the event was organised to raise public awareness of the challenges faced by visually impaired persons and promote their inclusion in society.
Akinsanya said the programme featured a sensitisation walk and a lecture aimed at educating the public about the capabilities of persons with visual impairments and the need to support them in achieving their potential.
“Before, we usually provided free eye check-ups and gave out glasses, but we decided to mark this year’s event differently.
“That is why we included the walk and the lecture to educate everyone, not only persons with visual impairments,” he said.