By Itohan Abara-Laserian
Lagos was thrown into chaos on Monday as no fewer than 500 visually-impaired Nigerians blocked major access roads to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, paralysing traffic and leaving air travellers stranded for hours.
The protesters, drawn from the Farmcraft Centre for the Blind, said the action was a desperate last resort to draw the Federal Government’s attention to what they described as years of neglect, worsened by the closure of their vocational school in 2023.
The demonstration, which began early in the day, quickly escalated into a city-wide disruption as motorists and airport shuttle buses were trapped in a gridlock stretching several kilometres.
Many passengers were seen abandoning their vehicles and trekking with luggage in hand to beat flight schedules.
Speaking on behalf of the group, a protest leader who identified himself simply as Mr Dolor accused government authorities of abandoning people living with disabilities to “a life of hopelessness and humiliation.”
“Many of us have been reduced to begging on the streets just to eat. Our school, which was our only means of acquiring skills and living with dignity, has been shut for over a year. We have petitioned and pleaded with the authorities, but our cries have been ignored,” Dolor said.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Restore Our School Now”, “We Deserve Dignity, Not Begging Bowls”, and “Disability is Not a Death Sentence”.
According to the demonstrators, the Farmcraft Centre for the Blind — established to train visually-impaired persons in vocational skills — has remained locked since last year, leaving hundreds without access to learning facilities or livelihood support.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), in a statement, confirmed the protest and said security agencies were deployed to manage the situation and ensure the safety of airport operations.
The protest underscores a more profound national crisis in the welfare system for persons with disabilities. Although Nigeria passed the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act in 2019, disability advocates say the law has remained mainly on paper, with little to show in terms of improved access to education, job opportunities, or social safety nets.
Observers note that the Lagos protest is a sharp reminder of the growing frustration among marginalised groups, as economic hardship and government inaction push many into destitution.
While airport operations resumed later in the day, the protesters vowed to sustain pressure until their demands, including the reopening and proper funding of their school, are met.
“We are not just fighting for ourselves, but for every person with disability who has been silenced by poverty and neglect,” Dolor declared, drawing cheers from the crowd.
