The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) has petitioned the Oyo State House of Assembly, urging urgent legislative action to reform government special homes and rehabilitation centers serving persons with disabilities across the state.
The petition, read aloud during the House’s plenary session, asked lawmakers to place all government-operated special homes and rehabilitation centers directly under the oversight of the Oyo State Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the official body formed to coordinate disability-related policies and programs in the state.
In its petition, JONAPWD expressed serious concern over what it described as long-standing stagnation in the state’s special homes, revealing that many of these facilities have been operating for around ten years without new admissions or measurable graduations of residents.
The association emphasized that rehabilitation and special education facilities are not meant to serve solely as custodial sites but should offer structured academic instruction, therapeutic services, vocational training, and clear pathways for graduation and reintegration into society.
They pointed out that the lack of regular intake, turnover, and graduation processes over the past decade indicates systemic failure and a departure from the original purpose of these facilities.
JONAPWD also lamented what it described as a drift away from the homes’ core mandate, noting that many of these centers now mainly function as custodial institutions rather than rehabilitation hubs.
The petition highlighted that many beneficiaries lack Individual Development Plans, structured vocational training routes, certification standards, or transition plans that could help them achieve economic independence and social inclusion.
According to the association, this arrangement unintentionally promotes dependency rather than empowerment and does not meet modern disability governance standards focused on dignity, productivity, and social participation.
The group further raised concerns about what it called administrative misalignment and fragmented oversight of the facilities.
It argued that the current supervisory structure has failed to ensure policy coherence, data-driven monitoring, institutional synergy, donor engagement, and accountability—all essential for effective operation.
JONAPWD pointed out that excluding the state’s disability-focused statutory body from direct supervision has led to overlapping responsibilities and weakened governance in the sector.
The petition stressed that the Oyo State Agency for Persons with Disabilities was created specifically to coordinate disability programs, promote inclusive policies, collaborate with development partners, standardize services, and uphold rights-based frameworks.
Maintaining special homes outside the direct control of the Agency, the group argued, undermines the law’s intent and hampers effective coordination.
Beyond highlighting existing issues, the association suggested opportunities for strategic reform, proposing that the facilities could be converted into specialized technical colleges and structured rehabilitation centers.
Such a change, it stated, would allow these institutions to offer technical and vocational certifications, empower adults and elderly persons with disabilities with skills for self-reliance, and align state disability services with current inclusive development standards.
The group further argued that transferring the management of these homes to the disability agency would give the facilities new purpose and structure, transforming them from passive care centers into active hubs of productivity that support the broader socio-economic goals of the state government.
JONAPWD therefore urged the House to take decisive action by launching a comprehensive legislative inquiry into the status of all special homes in Oyo State.
It also called on lawmakers to review and revise the existing administrative and supervisory frameworks governing these institutions and to pass a resolution transferring oversight, coordination, and management responsibilities of all government special homes and rehabilitation centers to the Oyo State Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
The association further requested legislative support to establish structured admission procedures, measurable graduation processes, vocational integration options, and sustainable rehabilitation programs within these facilities.
Such reforms, they argued, would promote disability-focused governance, improve partnerships with donors and the private sector, enhance monitoring and evaluation, and ensure inclusive decision-making.
Finally, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, committed the petition to the House Committee on Women Affairs for further legislative action.
