Globally, over 1.3 billion people—roughly 16% of the population—live with some form of disability (WHO, 2023). In sub-Saharan Africa, the burden is particularly heavy, where people with disabilities are often cut off from education, healthcare, and decent work.

In Nigeria, estimates suggest that over 27 million people have a disability, yet very few benefit from social protection, and even fewer are actively included in community development efforts. For these individuals, poverty is not just an economic condition—it is a daily exclusion from systems designed without them in mind.

This exclusion is not merely a humanitarian concern; it is a development failure. Despite decades of anti-poverty programs, development projects often treat persons with disabilities as an afterthought—if they are considered at all. Roads are built without ramps. Clinics lack sign language interpreters. Schools reject children with disabilities for “logistical reasons.” These oversights reinforce structural poverty and deepen inequality.

At CiSCOPE, we’ve spent years working at the intersection of civic engagement and grassroots development. And we’ve come to a hard truth: if inclusive development is not front and center, the fight against poverty will remain incomplete—and unjust. That is why CiSCOPE is broadening its mission to fully integrate disability-inclusive development across our work. Not as a side project, but as a foundational principle.

Inclusive development is not just morally right, but strategically essential. Through stories, analysis, and evidence from the field, we aim to show how true progress requires not just reaching the majority, but deliberately including the marginalized. Because until everyone can cross the bridge, we haven’t really built one.

We cannot end poverty by leaving people behind. Yet for too long, development efforts have focused on the visible majority—those who can walk into meetings, speak in fluent language, or navigate systems unaided—while millions remain invisible, unheard, and underserved.

The disability–poverty cycle is not inevitable. It is a product of design—of systems that overlook those with different needs, and policies that fail to account for diversity. But what has been designed can be redesigned. And that is the call of inclusive development: to reimagine a world where no progress counts unless it includes everyone.

From the girl in the wheelchair watching her classmates from behind a fence, to the young man denied employment because of a speech impairment, the stories are different, but the root cause is the same—systemic exclusion. But when we flip the script—when ramps replace steps, when training replaces stigma, when budgeting includes every body— we create something far more powerful than charity. We create justice.

At CiSCOPE, we believe this is not just the right thing to do. It is the smart thing to do. An inclusive approach creates stronger policies, more sustainable programs, and communities that are healthier, safer, and more united.

Likewise, inclusive development must go beyond disability to address broader participation gaps—particularly the persistent underrepresentation of youth and women in governance and decision-making spaces. In many communities, young people and women make up the majority of the population, yet their perspectives are often overlooked when policies are being designed and implemented. This exclusion not only undermines democratic principles but also limits the scope and effectiveness of development programs.

When young people are included, they bring energy, innovation, and fresh ideas that can reshape outdated systems. When women are empowered to lead, they prioritize issues like healthcare, education, and community well-being—areas critical to sustainable development.

True inclusion means dismantling the structural and cultural barriers that keep these voices at the margins, from restrictive gender norms to limited access to education and leadership training. By ensuring that governance reflects the diversity of its people, we create more equitable, responsive, and resilient systems. Inclusion is not a favour—it is a necessity for transformative progress.

So where do we go from here?

• To governments: Pass inclusive laws, then fund and enforce them.
• To donors and partners: Invest in accessibility, not just service delivery.
• To civil society: Make inclusion your default, not your exception.
• To communities: Listen. Engage. Empower.

Development is not real if it leaves people out. The bridge to a better world must carry everyone.

Join CiSCOPE—together we can break the barriers to inclusive development.