PHOTOS: Lagos airport roads blocked as visually impaired persons stage protest
Economic and social activities were paralysed for more than seven hours on Monday as over 100 persons with disabilities blocked access roads to both the local and international wings of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
From about 10 am to 4 pm, the demonstrators, made up of blind and physically challenged Nigerians, formed human barricades on the usually busy roads, forcing traffic to a standstill and leaving scores of travellers stranded.
The protesters, members of the Farmcraft Centre for the Blind, said their action was in response to government neglect.
They arrived in various vehicles, carrying food and accompanied by children, and vowed to remain until their demands were met.
According to them, their school, located in the Isheri area of Lagos, has been closed since 2022, depriving more than 500 registered members — and many more from other communities — of access to education and skills training.
One of the officials, Dolor, said the demonstration was born out of frustration after repeated appeals to government authorities failed.
“You can see them, blind people, disabled people, angry because there’s no welfare for us,” he said.
“Many of us are forced to beg to survive, and even that is frowned upon by society. We have our own school, the School of the Blind, the School of the Disabled, but it has been locked for years.
“We have written letters, travelled to Abuja, knocked on every door, but no one listens. So today, we have come to the road. If they will not give us education or care, then they must at least hear our voices.”
He added: “This is not a fight. We are not here to cause harm. We see the president as a father. But we know that many things happen in this country and never reach his ears. Blocking this road is the only way to be sure he will hear us.”
The situation escalated when some security agents threatened to use force, prompting the protesters to lie on the main road.
Travellers, both Nigerians and foreigners, were seen trekking long distances with their luggage as the protest halted vehicular movement on key airport routes.
In a statement, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) confirmed the disruption, advising passengers to monitor traffic updates, check flight schedules with their airlines, and use alternative routes.
“All efforts by airport security and the Nigerian Air Force to persuade the protesters to disperse failed,” FAAN said, adding that the demonstrators eventually left the road after several hours without a representative of the federal government addressing them.
Photo Credit: Ibrahim Mansur
