Triple marginalisation - The intersection of disability, poverty, and climate vulnerability in accessing quality education in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Oct 15, 2026

This article explores the complex intersection of disability, poverty, and climate vulnerability as compounding barriers to accessing quality education in Northern Nigeria, with a specific focus on Nasarawa State. While global commitments such as Sustainable Development Goal 4 emphasize inclusive and equitable education for all, children with disabilities in Nigeria continue to face entrenched marginalisation. The study uses desk-based review and policy analysis to show how floods, heatwaves, stigma, and economic constraints reinforce each other, and it evaluates responses by UNICEF, the Ministry of Education, and NGOs, concluding with integrated, inclusive, climate-resilient policy recommendations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

The Nigerian Context

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 13(3), pp. 295-302, July 2025 ISSN: 2354-2160 Review Triple marginalisation: The intersection of disability, poverty, and climate vulnerability in accessing quality education in Nasarawa State, Nigeria Peter James1*, Bamidele Folashade Mariam2, Praise Diwah Esor3 and Winner Akuabianuju Amaefule4 1Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria. 2 Federal University Oye Ekiti , Nigeria. 3 University of Lagos, Nigeria. 4 Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria. Accepted 14 July, 2025 | ABSTRACT
This article explores the complex intersection of disability, poverty, and climate vulnerability as compounding barriers to accessing quality education in Northern Nigeria, with a specific focus on Nasarawa State. While global commitments such as Sustainable Development Goal 4 emphasize inclusive and equitable education for all, children with disabilities in Nigeria continue to face entrenched marginalisation. This is further intensified by high poverty rates and the growing impacts of climate change, including floods, heatwaves, and school disruptions. Using a desk-based review of literature, policy analysis, and illustrative vignettes, the article demonstrates how these three dimensions reinforce each other to deny children their fundamental right to education. Key challenges identified include inadequate inclusive infrastructure, socio-cultural stigma, household economic constraints, and the lack of coordinated policy response across sectors. The article critically assesses existing responses by UNICEF, Nigeria’s Ministry of Education, and various NGOs, highlighting gaps in disability-inclusive climate resilience planning. Promising practices such as CommunityBased Rehabilitation (CBR) and inclusive disaster preparedness strategies are also discussed. Grounded in intersectionality theory, the Capability Approach, and principles of climate and educational justice, this paper calls for integrated policy planning, increased budgetary allocation, teacher training, parental support, and inclusive data systems. It concludes by reaffirming education as a non-negotiable right, emphasizing the urgency of localised, inclusive, and climate-resilient interventions. Unless urgent multi-sectoral action is taken, Nigeria risks deepening the cycle of marginalisation for its most vulnerable learners. The article offers both an analytical framework and practical recommendations for stakeholders committed to educational equity in the face of intersecting crises.
Keywords: Disability, climate change, inclusive education, poverty, educational inequality, climate resilience, educational policy. | | --- | | *Corresponding author. E-mail: [peterja915@gmail.com. Tel:](peterja915@gmail.com. Tel:) +234-806-0143-293. | INTRODUCTION Inclusive education has gained increasing global attention over the past two decades, particularly through international frameworks such as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . Goal 4 of the SDGs aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for Afr Educ Res J 296 all” (UN, 2015) . More specifically, Goals 4 and 5 focus on eliminating disparities in education and ensuring equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities. Despite such commitments, access to inclusive education remains uneven, especially in low-and middle-income countries. In parallel, global conversations around climate change have identified children, especially those from vulnerable groups, as disproportionately affected by environmental disruptions. According to UNICEF (2021) , approximately 1 billion children globally are at “extremely high risk” of the impacts of climate change. These risks range from flooding and drought to food insecurity and school closures, with grave implications for educational continuity and quality. Compounding this issue

FAQs

How do disability, poverty, and climate vulnerability jointly affect access to quality education in Nasarawa State?

The article explains that these factors compound each other: economic constraints and inadequate inclusive infrastructure limit access, while climate impacts such as floods and heatwaves disrupt schooling, further deepening exclusion for learners with disabilities.

What challenges to inclusive education are identified in the Nigerian context?

Key challenges include stigmatization, lack of trained teachers, inaccessible facilities, and exclusionary curricula; these are intensified during environmental disruptions like floods.

What approaches and policy actions does the article recommend?

It calls for integrated policy planning, increased budgetary allocation, teacher training, parental support, inclusive data systems, and disability-inclusive climate resilience strategies, highlighting practices such as Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) and inclusive disaster preparedness.

Oct 15, 2026

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