Every step a struggle:’ Nigerian woman with disabilities leads push for dignity and inclusion

“Sometimes, it feels like the world isn’t made for people like me,” said Shiminenge, her voice steady despite the weight of the words. In Gbajimba, north-central Nigeria, the 32-year-old navigates daily life in a camp for displaced people that offers little space, safety, or accessibility for people living with disabilities.

Around her, tents stretch across dry, uneven ground. Paths turn muddy and difficult when it rains. Toilets and water points sit farther than she can reach without help. Yet every morning, she pushes through the same obstacles, determined not to disappear in a place that was never designed for her.

Shiminenge is one of more than 480,000 people displaced by intercommunal conflict in Benue State.

She fled her village in Guma in 2018 and has since lived in a camp for internally displaced persons in Gbajimba. Like many others, she left with little more than the hope of finding safety.

But her journey began long before displacement.

At just nine months old, her parents were told she would never be able to walk after a diagnosis that shaped the course of her life. Growing up with a mobility impairment meant constant adjustments and an early understanding of what it means to move through the world without accessible support.

Today, life in the camp has added another layer of daily challenge: poor shelter conditions, no accessible sanitation, and a landscape that is nearly impossible to navigate.

Speaking ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities marked annually on 3 December, she said: “In the camp, every step outside my tent was a struggle.” It’s not just the physical obstacles; it’s the feeling of being invisible, of being forgotten in a place where survival is already so hard.”

Barriers to services and dignity

The sense of invisibility that Shiminenge describes is shared by many people with disabilities in displacement settings. They are often among the most marginalized within internally displaced populations, facing unique barriers to shelter, healthcare, sanitation, and essential services.

In these environments, inaccessible infrastructure and limited targeted support can heighten risks of neglect, exclusion, and abuse. As these barriers add up, they make displacement even more difficult and put the rights and dignity of people with disabilities at greater risk.

Despite these limitations, Shiminenge refused to give up. Resourceful and determined, she began selling mosquito repellent in the camp, earning a small income while also helping protect other camp residents from malaria.

Her resilience soon grew into advocacy. She helped form a disability association in Gbajimba, bringing together 18 other people living with disabilities to push for mobility aids, fair access to resources, and more inclusive facilities.

Camp upgrade

In August 2024, a team with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) visited the camp to assess the living conditions of displaced persons. After years of feeling unseen in a crowded place, the visit felt different. “For the first time here, I felt someone was listening,” she said.

Responding to the association’s requests, IOM with the support of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, led a total camp redesign to ensure that the specific needs of people living with disabilities were addressed with dignity and respect.

As part of this redesign, nearly 4,000 upgraded emergency shelters were constructed in Gbajimba, each built to withstand the region’s seasonal rains and offer safer living conditions for displaced families.

The redesign also introduced a dedicated section for people living with disabilities, offering disability-friendly toilets, accessible water points, and kitchens designed for ease of use.

Throughout the area, gently sloped ramps and communal social spaces were added, allowing residents to move independently and participate more fully in daily camp life.

“These changes mean more than convenience; they give us a sense of dignity and belonging,” she said.