By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA –  THE Nigerian media, Monday, urged to push strongly for fiscal inclusion of millions of children with disabilities across the country.

The call was made by the Executive Director, The Qualitative Magazine, Agbo Christian Obiora, in an opening remark at a ‘Media Roundtable on Inclusive Budgeting’, organized by The Qualitative Magazine, and supported by The Leprosy Mission Nigeria, TLMN.

Obiora said the media is to champion the advocacy and advancement of the rights and welfare of children with disabilities in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the engagement was to strengthen the capacity of media professionals to effectively report on disability-inclusive public financing, enhance public awareness, and promote accountability in ensuring that children with disabilities are adequately captured in national and sub-national budgets.

According to him, the “Roundtable is not just another media meeting; it is a call to conscience and a call to action”, based on the strategic role the media plays in shaping government policies and programmes.

He said: “Across Nigeria, millions of children with disabilities remain invisible in public planning and budgeting. When budgets are silent, services fail. When services fail, rights are denied. And when rights are denied, the future of an entire generation is placed at risk.”

He emphasized that, “The media plays a powerful role in shaping public understanding, influencing policy priorities, and holding duty bearers accountable. Through accurate, ethical, and inclusive reporting, the media can ensure that budgeting processes at national and sub-national levels reflect the realities, needs, and aspirations of children with disabilities. 

“This roundtable is therefore designed to strengthen your capacity to interrogate budgets, ask the right questions, amplify marginalized voices, and tell stories that drive action and reform.”

He also said his media organization, The Qualitative Magazine, has championed the course of persons with disability “to change narratives, challenge exclusion, and promote policies and practices that uphold the dignity and rights of persons with disabilities.”

He added that, “We firmly believe that inclusive budgeting is not charity; it is justice. It is not an option; it is an obligation. 

“Let us explore how media reporting can move beyond events and statements to sustained, data-driven, and people-centered coverage that places children with disabilities at the heart of development planning.”

In a remark, the National Director, The Leprosy Mission Nigeria, Dr Sunday Udo, pointed out the salient role of the media to ensure children with disabilities are not left behind.

“Here is the hard truth: If children with disabilities are not clearly budgeted for, they are effectively excluded—no matter how good our policies sound.

“Children with disabilities face higher barriers to schooling, delayed access to healthcare, greater protection risks, and lifelong poverty. 

“Yet our budgets often treat them as an afterthought, not a priority. This is not just a technical gap—it is a question of equity, accountability, and justice.

“Today’s engagement is therefore not about theory. It is about evidence and action.

The evidence is in the budget numbers.Our call today is clear: Nigeria must move from general promises to specific, trackable budget commitments for children with disabilities. Inclusion must be planned, costed, and monitored.

“We look forward to sharing the findings of the budget review and engaging in a robust discussion on how media reporting can help ensure that children with disabilities are no longer invisible in our budgets, or in our future”, Udo said.