Nigeria: Priority Assistive Products List

The Federal Ministry of Health for Abuja is pleased to present the first edition of the National Priority Assistive Products List (APL) in line with the WHO/AT2030 goal to reach 500 million people globally by 2030 with life-changing assistive technology. Assistive technology is the bridge that facilitates access to the environment, to equal opportunities to education, work, and economic opportunities for persons with disabilities.

The development of this document is, therefore, instrumental to the enactment of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act of 2018, which effectively prohibits any form of discrimination against persons with disabilities, calling for equal rights to access the physical environment, equal rights to education, adequate healthcare, and economic opportunities.

As part of the Federal Ministry of Health’s commitment to develop and implement policies that strengthen the national health system for effective, efficient, accessible, and affordable delivery of health services, the APL will serve as a reference and provide guidance for the development of assistive technology service provision and standardized training packages for service providers. This document will act as a framework for the development of the first National Assistive Products Specifications, which is essential to facilitate access to the best quality assistive devices for persons with disabilities.

This document is the outcome of extensive deliberations and consultations by various stakeholders in the assistive technology sector in Nigeria. These stakeholders included assistive technology users, medical rehabilitation professionals, implementing partners, local assistive technology producers and suppliers, and relevant ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). The stakeholders were all included to ensure that all relevant perspectives were taken into consideration in the development of this essential document.

This document is designed to set in motion, the catalytic change required in the assistive technology sector to improve access to assistive devices and fulfill the vital needs of the 25 million persons with disabilities who live in Nigeria.