When in
May, this year, the annual budgetary allocation to the Lagos State Office for
Disability Affairs (LASODA) was increased from N500 Million to N1 Billion,
there was hope that the increment would help alleviate the plight of persons
with disabilities (PWDs) in the state. However, the agency is currently
entangled in allegations of kickback demands, blacklisting of outspoken NGOs, and
mismanagement of the Disability Intervention Fund, which have compounded the
woes of PWDs in the state.
According
to a report in The Punch, disability rights advocates say there is a
growing number of children living with disabilities, many of whom require
specialised healthcare, rehabilitation services, assistive devices, educational
support and welfare interventions but do not receive them due to alleged
corruption and other systemic challenges.
While
government intervention funds and support programmes exist to address some of
these needs, stakeholders alleged that beneficiaries are unable to access them.
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“Disability
advocates and non-governmental organisations working in the sector say children living with disabilities continue to
struggle to access intervention funds and support services meant to improve
their lives,” the report stated.
The
2021 United Nations Population Fund estimated that about 32 million Nigerians,
including children, live with one form of disability or another.
Children
with disabilities experience disrupted education for various reasons, including
stigma and discrimination, inaccessible school infrastructure, delayed
identification and diagnosis, and inadequate funding to support their needs.
However,
to address these challenges, the administration of former Lagos State Governor
Babatunde Fashola established the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs
following the enactment of the Lagos State Special People’s Law in 2011.
It was
meant to safeguard persons with disabilities from discrimination and guarantee
equal rights.
LASODA
was created to enforce the law, issue disability certificates, protect the
rights of persons with disabilities and serve as a link between the government
and NGOs, homes and cluster foundations working with them.
His
successor, Akinwunmi Ambode, established the disability fund and inaugurated
the agency’s board in line with the law.
Following
this, the Lagos State Government voted N500m annually to support persons with
disabilities before increasing the allocation to N1bn in May 2026. The fund is
intended to promote inclusion, accessibility and public awareness.
The
Lagos State Government also provides annual grants ranging from N500,000 to N1
million to registered NGOs, special homes and disability clusters.
The
funds are managed and disbursed through LASODA to support the daily operations,
advocacy and caregiving activities of organisations working with persons with
disabilities.
However,
according to the report, stakeholders alleged that some officials involved in
administering the funds demand kickbacks from beneficiary organisations before
processing or releasing the grants.
An NGO
operator identified simply as Ishola, who works closely with children with
disabilities, alleged that corruption had become a major obstacle preventing
support from reaching those who need it most.
“There
is funding available for these children, but it cannot reach them because
corruption is getting worse every day. Some officials responsible for
processing or facilitating access to intervention funds demand a percentage of
the money as a kickback before approving or releasing support,” the source told
The Punch.
Several
stakeholders who spoke exclusively to Sunday PUNCH raised
concerns about transparency and accountability in the administration of
disability-related intervention funds.
They
alleged that demands for kickbacks significantly reduce the funds available to
NGOs to cater to the needs of children living with disabilities.
Another
NGO operator, who requested anonymity for fear of being blacklisted from
accessing intervention funds, alleged that during an interaction with the
Director of Social Development and Integration at the Lagos State Office for
Disability Affairs, Kelani Akeem, the official proposed sharing intervention
funds.
“He
said he would include my NGO’s name among the beneficiaries, but I would have
to give him a certain amount as commission. I knew that if I did that, there
would be nothing left to carry out the interventions for the children,” the
source told Punch’s correspondent.
The
source further alleged that organisations that refused to comply with such
demands risked being excluded from funding opportunities.
“We
have been blacklisted because we refused to pay. Some of the things happening
in this sector are deeply troubling,” the source claimed.
He
further added that many organisations that allegedly comply were afraid to
speak out for fear of being cut off from future interventions.
“They
would say half a loaf is better than none, thereby denying needy children the
intervention that was meant for them and enriching some selfish individuals
within LASODA,” the source alleged.
The
allegations against LASODA come amid growing concerns by some stakeholders over
the management of disability intervention funds in Lagos State.
The
PUNCH, in
a report published on November 6, 2025, reported that the Coordinator of
Kehinde Oshilaja Foundation, Kehinde Oshilaja, urged the Lagos State Government
to make greater provisions for the welfare of persons with disabilities,
particularly in affordable housing, healthcare and social infrastructure.
The
organisation also called for well-equipped sporting facilities to promote the
physical and social well-being of persons with disabilities across the state.
When
the Lagos State Government, through the Commissioner for Youth and Social
Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, announced in May 2026 an increase in the
disability support fund managed by LASODA from N500 million to N1 billion
during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing, he said the additional funding was
specifically meant to strengthen support for persons with disabilities across
the state.
According
to the commissioner, the agency had continued to make significant progress in
promoting inclusion, accessibility and public awareness for persons with
disabilities in Lagos State.
He
said LASODA’s interventions covered capacity building and professional
training, economic empowerment and business support, financial assistance to
homes and disability clusters, as well as the provision of assistive devices,
prosthetics, and work tools.
However, Sunday
PUNCH reported that some stakeholders alleged that the same
intervention fund had become vulnerable to kickback demands by some officials
from NGOs seeking access to the grants.
Behind
the allegations of corruption and demands for kickbacks are families whose
lives have been upended by the inability to access support meant for children
living with disabilities.
For a
grandmother, who introduced herself to Sunday
PUNCH as Mrs Sola, the
cost was irreversible.
As her
grandson’s condition worsened, she knocked on the doors of non-governmental
organisations, hoping someone would help. She exhausted her family’s savings,
borrowed from neighbours and sought assistance from charitable organisations.
But the help she desperately needed never came.
Her
grandson died while they were still searching for support, leaving behind grief
and painful questions about whether his life could have been different had help
arrived in time.
For
another mother, the nightmare is still unfolding.
Her
young son suffers from a severe medical condition that requires surgery, yet
months after seeking help, she is still unable to find an NGO willing or able
to fund the operation.
A
Consultant Gynaecologist and Obstetrician at Havanah Hospital, Lagos Island, Dr
Cynthia Okafor, said delays in accessing intervention for children living with
disabilities could have devastating consequences.
She
noted that many families are unable to secure urgent medical treatment because
organisations expected to support them often lack adequate resources.
According
to her, one of the gravest consequences of the alleged corruption is that it
diminishes children’s chances of receiving timely medical attention that could
improve or even save their lives.
“Illnesses
and diseases are better treated at an early stage. When treatment is delayed
beyond the critical or golden period, the chances of recovery become
significantly reduced,” she said.
A
child rights advocate and lawyer, Lawrence Ndukwe, said the allegations
underscore the need for stronger oversight, transparent disbursement
mechanisms, and independent monitoring of disability intervention funds.
He
argued that every naira allocated to support children living with disabilities
should be traceable from appropriation to implementation.
When
contacted over the allegations, the Director of Social Development and
Integration at the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs, Kelani Akeem,
appealed to Sunday PUNCH to
“use your good office to address the matter,” saying it had been resolved
internally.
“May
God not let you lose your job. May God not let you lose your job. May God not
let you lose your job. I don’t know what to say. Please use your good office to
address the matter. The matter has been settled in the office,” he said when
asked to respond to the allegations.
The
General Manager of LASODA, Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, was also contacted on
Friday, July 17, 2026, and asked to respond to the allegations. She requested
that the enquiries be sent via email, which the punch’s correspondent did.
When
reminded the following day that no response had been received, she replied:
“Good
afternoon, sir. You sent your email, didn’t you? Exactly… you will get your
reply. Thank you.”
As of
the time this report was filed, LASODA had yet to respond to the detailed
questionnaire sent by Sunday PUNCH,
which sought its reaction to allegations of kickback demands, the blacklisting
of NGOs, the alleged mismanagement of the Disability Intervention Fund, and the
measures it has put in place to ensure transparency and accountability in the
disbursement of the funds.
With report from The Punch
