The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) has petitioned the Oyo State House of Assembly, seeking urgent legislative intervention to reposition government special homes and rehabilitation centres serving persons with disabilities across the state.
The petition, presented during plenary, urged lawmakers to place all government run special homes and rehabilitation centres under the direct supervision of the Oyo State Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the statutory body responsible for coordinating disability-related policies and programmes in the state.
In the petition, the association expressed concern over what it described as prolonged institutional stagnation in the state’s special homes, alleging that many of the facilities have operated for nearly a decade without structured admissions or measurable graduation of beneficiaries.
According to the group, rehabilitation and special education institutions are meant to provide structured academic instruction, therapeutic support, and vocational training, alongside clear pathways for graduation and reintegration into society, rather than functioning merely as custodial facilities.
JONAPWD noted that the absence of regular intake, turnover and completion processes over the past ten years suggests systemic challenges and a departure from the objectives for which the facilities were established.
The association further lamented what it described as a gradual shift from the core mandate of the homes, stating that many of the centres now operate largely as custodial institutions instead of functional rehabilitation hubs.
It also raised concerns that many beneficiaries are not provided with Individual Development Plans, structured vocational training, certification benchmarks or transition frameworks that would enable them to achieve economic independence and social inclusion.
The group argued that such a model could inadvertently encourage dependency rather than empowerment and falls short of modern disability governance standards that emphasise dignity, productivity and inclusion.
JONAPWD also pointed to what it termed administrative misalignment and fragmented oversight in the management of the facilities, noting that the current supervisory structure has not delivered the level of coordination, monitoring, and accountability required for effective service delivery.
According to the petitioners, excluding the state’s disability-focused statutory agency from direct supervision of the homes has created gaps in policy coordination and institutional efficiency.
The association maintained that the disability agency was established specifically to coordinate disability programmes, standardise services, engage development partners and ensure compliance with rights-based frameworks.
It added that keeping the special homes outside the agency’s purview undermines the intent of the law establishing the agency and weakens institutional coordination.
JONAPWD also suggested that the facilities could be transformed into functional special technical colleges and structured rehabilitation centres capable of providing technical and vocational certification for persons with disabilities.
Such reforms, the group said, would empower adults and elderly persons with disabilities with skills for self-reliance while aligning the state’s disability services with modern inclusive development standards.
The association therefore urged the House to institute a comprehensive legislative inquiry into the operational status of all special homes across the state and review the existing supervisory framework governing the institutions.
It also called on lawmakers to pass a resolution transferring the supervision, coordination and management of all government special homes and rehabilitation centres to the Oyo State Agency for Persons with Disabilities.
According to the petitioners, the proposed reforms would introduce structured admission systems, measurable graduation processes, vocational integration pathways and sustainable rehabilitation programmes within the institutions.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Hon.
Adebo Ogundoyin, in his reaction referred the petition to the House Committee on Women Affairs for further legislative action
 has petitioned the Oyo State House of Assembly, seeking urgent legislative intervention to reposition government special homes and rehabilitation centres serving persons with disabilities across the state.){kind=link}