The commissioner of education in Osun State has assured the leadership of persons with disabilities of full inclusion in the ongoing teachers’ recruitment exercise, in line with the five percent quota provided by Osun Disability Protection Act.
The assurance was given on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, during a meeting between officials of the Ministry of Education and leaders of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) in Osogbo.
Speaking during the meeting, the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Dipo Eluwole, said the engagement was part of the ministry’s regular dialogue with persons with disabilities on issues affecting their welfare. He explained that the delegation approached the ministry following the ongoing teachers’ recruitment, in which several persons with disabilities had applied and participated in interviews.
According to the commissioner, their request centered on the enforcement of the statutory five per cent employment quota for persons with disabilities. He assured them that the government is committed to complying with the law.
“They came to us as they usually do, to dialogue with us on prevailing issues,” Eluwole said.
“When they heard about the teachers’ recruitment, they came to request that the five per cent quota, as provided by law, should be considered. By the grace of God, it will be considered anytime we are carrying out such an exercise. We have to work together, and we assure them that they will not be left out.”
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Osun State Bureau for People with Disabilities, Mr. Oyetunde Ayobami Oyewunmi, said the meeting was convened to seek clarification on the release of appointment letters for shortlisted candidates with disabilities.
He said the commissioner and the permanent secretary responded positively to their concerns.
“We are here to discuss the issuance of letters to shortlisted candidates who are persons with disabilities,” Oyewunmi said.
“The commissioner and the permanent secretary have promised that whenever the government releases the final letters, persons with disabilities will be fully carried along.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Osun State Chairman of JONAPID, Mr. Stephen Oluwafemi Idowu, said the association visited the ministry to formally request the inclusion of persons with disabilities, in the ongoing recruitment of teachers in the ministry.
“We are here to remind the government about the five per cent employment provision for persons with disabilities, particularly in the teachers’ recruitment exercise,” Idowu said. “We appreciate the commissioner and other officials for their good gesture and support. We believe our able governor will respond positively to our request.”
Similarly, the General Secretary of the Osun State Disability group, Mr. Harrison Sunday Smith, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting. He said the delegation sought clarification on their quota in the ongoing recruitment and received reassuring responses from the ministry.
He further said , “the commissioner has assured us that inclusion is on board and that the directive of the executive governor on disability inclusion will be implemented,” Smith said. “This is just the tip of the iceberg, and we are hopeful that very soon, everything will become clear.”
The meeting ended with renewed assurances from the Ministry of Education that persons with disabilities would be fully considered in government employment processes in Osun State
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