Abuja, Nigeria – For people living with disabilities in Abuja, accessing public toilets has become a significant challenge.
A report by AbujaCommunity has revealed that the state of public toilets in the Federal Capital Territory is dismal, posing health risks and significant financial cost for residents.
According to the report, using a public toilet in the Nigerian capital costs N100 per visit, which amounts to N3,000 per month. This monthly expense is equivalent to 10 percent of the minimum wage in Nigeria
However, further check across the ten public toilets in the Federal Capital Territory showed that the financial burden disproportionately affects people living with disabilities (PWDs), who often face additional challenges in accessing these facilities.
Moreover, AbujaCommunity discovered that out of ten public toilets surveyed in the Federal Capital Territory, only the one located in Area 1 had provisions for PWDs.
The rest including those located in Utako market, Berger Park, Garki market, Gudu market, Zuba market, Zuba Park, Gwagwalada market, Park Road Gwagwalada and Wuse market are not accessible for person’s with disability.
This glaring lack of accessibility runs counter to the United Nations’ Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, which emphasizes inclusivity in public infrastructure.
PWDs in Abuja expressed their frustrations and concerns over the poor state of public toilets.
Many of these facilities are often dirty and littered with feces and urine, making them unsuitable for use. The physical design of these toilets also presents significant obstacles for wheelchair users and those with mobility impairments, the residents say.
Auwal Garuba, a 43-year-old trader and footballer living with a disability, shared his experiences of struggling to access suitable toilets with AbujaCommunity. He described how several public toilets are designed with high doors and floors, making it impossible for wheelchair users to enter. This forces them to transfer from their wheelchairs onto the wet and unsanitary restroom floors.
“There are so many public toilets that somebody like me find it difficult to climb. I have experience this a lot of time and I have seen PWDs experience this as well.
“If you enter the toilet like this, you will see water everywhere and for them to use the toilet in that state is quite bad.
Yunusa Hayatu, a 35-year-old person living with a disability, emphasized that dirty public toilets pose serious health risks to PWDs. He lamented that none of the toilets he visited across the Federal Capital Territory had provisions for people with disabilities.
Muhammad Isah, a 26-year-old shoemaker living with a disability, highlighted the challenges he faces in using public toilets in the Wuse market area. He described situations where he had to search for accessible toilets, even if it meant leaving the vicinity he was in, and voiced his dissatisfaction with the poor maintenance of these facilities.
“We experience difficulties a lot,” he said.
Rabi Mustapha, the secretary of Women Living with Disability Karon Magiji, stressed that PWDs are struggling to find comfortable housing facilities and accessible public toilets in Abuja. She called on the government to address the needs of PWDs and urged officials to personally witness the difficulties they face
“We leave in Bacha (aluminum constructed houses) and the toilets here are bad. Even when I go for a public function and I discovered that the facilities are not accessible.”
Chris Agbo, Chairman of the National Association of Persons with Physical Disability (NAPWPD) FCT Chapter, explained to AbujaCommunity that societal biases and weak regulations are among the causes of the challenges PWDs face. He highlighted the importance of including PWDs in the construction of public infrastructure and called for the adoption of universal design principles.
Agbo also warned that if public infrastructures aren’t made accessible to PWDs by January 2024, which marks the end of a five-year grace period for modifications set by the Disability Rights Law, affected individuals may resort to litigation. He urged professional bodies and organizations to adopt universal design and ensure compliance.
To address these issues, Agbo called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s Health Secretariat to adopt the National Policy On Sexual And Reproductive Health Right Of Persons With Disabilities and develop a disability inclusion policy for health facilities.
He emphasized the need for a committee to monitor implementation and ensure compliance with accessibility standards.
There is urgent need for greater inclusivity and accessibility in Abuja’s infrastructure, he said.
