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Despite Nigeria’s ratification of global frameworks like the Salamanca Statement and Sustainable Development Goal 4, inclusive education remains fragmented at the state level. Drawing on the Nigerian Disability Act (2018) and the National Policy on Inclusive Education (2017), it evaluates policy application across three selected schools using a qualitative, policy-focused approach, identifying barriers and offering strategic, multi-sector recommendations.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/bridging-policy-and-practice-evaluating-inclusive-education-for-children-with-disabilities-in-nasarawa-state-nigeria/591361/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/bridging-policy-and-practice-evaluating-inclusive-education-for-children-with-disabilities-in-nasarawa-state-nigeria/591361.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"eBook King","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-03","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":39},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What gap does the study focus on regarding inclusive education in Nasarawa State?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It focuses on the persistent disconnect between national inclusive education policies and actual implementation at the state and school levels.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Which policy instruments does the study use to evaluate inclusive education?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"It draws on the Nigerian Disability Act (2018) and the National Policy on Inclusive Education (2017) to assess how inclusive practices are applied in selected schools.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What barriers does the article identify as limiting inclusive education outcomes?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Recurring barriers include poor infrastructure, limited teacher training, weak policy enforcement, unreliable data, and societal stigma.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},591361,1792161944,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":39,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":52,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},962088006270,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_085a072bc5b1113ac321206ff7593b45","African Educational Research Journal Vol. 13(3), pp. 352-361, August 2025 ISSN: 2354-2160  \nFull Length Research Paper  \nBridging policy and practice: Evaluating inclusive education for children with disabilities in Nasarawa State, Nigeria  \nPeter James1*, Praise Diwah Esor2, Olanrewaju Bisola Mercy2, Olanrewaju Yinka Grace3 and Bamidele Folashade Mariam4  \n1Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria.  \n2University of Lagos, Nigeria.  \n3University of Regina, Canada.  \n4 Federal University Oye Ekiti , Nigeria.  \nAccepted 12 August, 2025  \n\n| ABSTRACT\u003Cbr>This article critically examines inclusive education practices for children with disabilities in Nasarawa State, Nigeria, highlighting the persistent gap between national policies and on-the-ground implementation. Despite Nigeria’s ratification of global frameworks like the Salamanca Statement and Sustainable Development Goal 4, inclusive education remains fragmented at the state level. Drawing on the Nigerian Disability Act (2018) and the National Policy on Inclusive Education (2017) , this policy-focused analysis evaluates how these instruments are applied in three selected schools based on their documented engagement with inclusive practices. Using a qualitative, policy-focused approach, the study synthesizes insights from policy documents, educational reports, and anecdotal stakeholder perspectives, including students with disabilities, parents, teachers, and community leaders. While NGO support, community-based initiatives, and faith-led programs have achieved some progress, the article identifies recurring barriers, including poor infrastructure, limited teacher training, weak policy enforcement, unreliable data, and societal stigma. The article concludes with strategic recommendations aimed at bridging policy and practice through increased budgetary allocation, targeted teacher training, robust monitoring systems, and active community engagement. Ultimately, it argues for a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to create an inclusive education system that guarantees equitable learning opportunities for all children, regardless of ability. By addressing these systemic barriers, Nasarawa State can position itself as a model for inclusive education reform across Northern Nigeria and beyond. The study also acknowledges its reliance on secondary data as a limitation, recommending future empirical research with mixed methods.\u003Cbr>Keywords: Inclusive education, children with disabilities, policy implementation , educational reform, teacher training , sociocultural barriers, Nasarawa State. |\n| --- |\n| *Corresponding author. Email: peterja915@gmai[l. com](l. com) . |\n\nINTRODUCTION  \nOverview of inclusive education in Nigeria  \nInclusive education is increasingly recognized in Nigeria as essential to achieving equitable and quality education, particularly for marginalised groups such as children with disabilities. The concept is grounded in global frameworks like the Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994), which affirms the right of every child, regardless of disability, gender, ethnicity, or socio-economic  \nbackground , to learn within mainstream educational settings.  \nIn response, Nigeria has developed key legislative and policy instruments. The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, mandates equal access to education and prohibits discrimination based on disability. Complementing this is the National Policy on Inclusive Education (2017; revised in 2021) , which promotes the integration of learners with special needs  \nJames et al. 353  \nthrough inclusive curricula, infrastructure, and teacher training (Federal Ministry of Education [FME], 2021) .  \nDespite these frameworks, implementation remains inconsistent and fragmented across states. Recent studies (Mbaba et al. , 2024; Inclusive Futures, 2024) reveal persistent gaps in school accessibility, low teacher preparedness, and poor data tracking on learners with disabilities. For instance, according ","cbCaifpvWaeNnWxG","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaifpvWaeNnWxG","pdf",210198,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction\n## Overview of inclusive education in Nigeria\n## Brief on the educational situation in Nasarawa State","[{\"question\":\"What gap does the study focus on regarding inclusive education in Nasarawa State?\",\"answer\":\"It focuses on the persistent disconnect between national inclusive education policies and actual implementation at the state and school levels.\"},{\"question\":\"Which policy instruments does the study use to evaluate inclusive education?\",\"answer\":\"It draws on the Nigerian Disability Act (2018) and the National Policy on Inclusive Education (2017) to assess how inclusive practices are applied in selected schools.\"},{\"question\":\"What barriers does the article identify as limiting inclusive education outcomes?\",\"answer\":\"Recurring barriers include poor infrastructure, limited teacher training, weak policy enforcement, unreliable data, and societal stigma.\"}]","Bridging policy and practice - Evaluating inclusive education for children with disabilities in Nasarawa State, Nigeria | PDF",1792071684,25]