On the 28th of March, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) shut down a branch of a popular food outlet, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos State. This is coming after the son of Gbenga Daniel, Debola Daniel, posted on his official X (formally Twitter) page, alleging that the restaurant had stopped him and his family from entering, stating that “no wheelchairs were allowed”.
In his exact words, he said “Just as we were about to sit, the lady at the till – who was apparently the manager – called out loudly, ‘No Wheelchairs Allowed ”. This according to FAAN violated the Lagos State law on People with Special Needs, Part C, Section 55 of General Provisions on Discrimination.
Nigeria Disability Laws In Nigeria
The Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) branch located at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos State violates the Lagos State law of People with Special Needs. This contravention specifically relates to Part C, Section 55 of the General Provisions on Discrimination, which prohibits any individual or entity from denying access to any place, vehicle, or facility that the general public is entitled to use based on the disability of an individual. This regulation is just one among many Nigerian laws designed to safeguard the rights of People With Disabilities (PWDs).
Also, the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018 is a Nigerian law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in many areas, including employment, education, healthcare, and public services, with sanctions attached. The law also protects the rights of people with disabilities to access buildings, transportation, goods, and services on an equal basis with others. Section 5 of this Act mandates that public buildings and facilities must be accessible to PWDs.
State Government Adherence To Disability Laws
Despite the enactment of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, also known as the National Disability Act, in 2019, only 19 states have adopted this legislation. These states include those in the North Central region (Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, and Plateau States), Northeast (Bauchi State), Northwest (Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Sokoto, and Zamfara States), Southeast (Abia and Anambra States), Southsouth (Cross River and Edo States), and Southwest (Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo, and Oyo States).
However, other states like Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Ogun, Osun, Katsina, Kebbi, Gombe, Rivers, Taraba, and Yobe. are yet to adopt this act, raising concerns about the protection of PWDs rights in these states.
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