The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, under the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, has summoned the chief medical director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric School of Post Basic Mental Health Nursing, Enugu, for allegedly failing to provide a conducive environment to one Uche Olivia, seeking admission to the school. Uche, it was gathered, is a visually-impaired nurse seeking specialisation in mental health.
The letter, dated 6th January 2026, and signed by the Executive Secretary of the commission, Ayuba Burki Gufwan, directed the appearance of the chief medical director of the institution before the commission on January 29, 2026.
Entitled “Investigative activities pursuant to Section 1 of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 in the Matter of Uche Olivia”, the commission stated that the appearance order was in alignment with the mandate of the commission.
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The letter stated, “The above stated commission is a creation of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, charged with the responsibility to promote, protect and enforce the rights of persons with disabilities in Nigeria against others. With reference to the above, you are invited to an investigative meeting opened by the commission to investigate an alleged discriminatory conduct that you were involved in against Ms Uche Olivia who is a person with disability (visually impaired).
“You are requested to report on 29th January 2026. The invitation is made pursuant to Section 1 of the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibitions) Act 2018, as such noncompliance will attract severe sanctions.”
The victim stated in a video that, “This is me calling out the Federal Neuropsychiatric School in Enugu for what they did to me. If you are visually impaired or have a disability, I think you would like to listen to this one.”
It was gathered that Ms Uche Olivia, a registered nurse and licensed in 2022, had applied to the school for admission to study mental health nursing. With her condition, she had demanded either large print question papers, a reader or an extra-time to enable her to write her answers unhindered.
Uche stated that her problem started in October 2024 when she was diagnosed with optic nerve atrophy, a medical condition whereby the optic nerve begins to degenerate and impairs vision. She said it affected her life “in the most negative way”.
Quoting her, “In 2025, I decided to pursue my specialty in mental health, which I am passionate about. I purchased the form and the exam date was set some time in 2025. I duly informed the school that I am visually impaired, and I might need help. I requested three things: make my exam questions bolder so that I won’t have to strain my eyes, or assign an examiner to assist me in reading out the questions, or give me an extra time. I needed any of these three options.”
She said a few days to the exam, she still reminded the school again. “I was at the venue of the exam around 7am. We waited for them. When they came, they started the accreditation during which I also reminded them. They told me to sit under a shade. They started the exam at 5pm, an exam scheduled for 9am. They shared the questions. But nobody was saying anything to me. I called an examiner and told her my problem. She looked at me with disdain. I started crying. She walked away.”
She said she met another examiner who told her to meet the provost who was standing in front. “We went,” Uche said. “I explained to him. I told him I had my medical report for him to examine. He told me that there was nothing he could do for me. I stood there and watched my dream shattered. This man told me that I might as well answer the ones I could see, and leave the ones I couldn’t see. Imagine a mental health institution that can’t offer mental support to a visual-impaired!”
Uche called for the intervention of concerned authorities to save might-be victims, adding that “I will be looking for an inclusive mental health school in Nigeria or outside where I could pursue my dream.”
A disability rights advocate, Christian Agbo, told our correspondent on Tuesday that he was touched after interrogating the ordeal of Ms Uche. 6th January 2026
Quoting him, “It is amazing that we still find some Nigerians who have something against people with disabilities. Sometimes you wonder because those who should know, educated ones, are the same people discriminating against people with disabilities. In this lady’s story, they were not fair to her in all ramifications. She gave three options, seeking one of them. She deserves all the three.
“It is her right. If she can’t read, someone should be there to help her. JAMB is giving extra-time for people of the same kind. We have an Act that defends her. It gives her all the right. I am a polio survivor. We need to challenge the system, and not running off the country. They should allow her to write that exam. Many of us will support her. If the school refuses to do the right thing, we take it up with her.”
When our correspondent went to the school, the CMD was not around. However, a source, who refused to be mentioned, said the institution would honour the invitation. “It will enable us to state our own part of the narrative,” he said.