Welfare Services and Quality of Life of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in South West Nigeria

This study examines the availability and impact of welfare services on the quality of life of adults with intellectual disabilities in South West Nigeria. While much attention in Nigerian special education research has focused on children, the welfare needs and life quality of adults with intellectual disabilities, who may have completed or aged out of formal schooling without adequate post-school support, are critically underexamined. In South West Nigeria, formal welfare services for this population are largely absent, with most support provided informally by families. Using a mixed-methods design, the study surveys two hundred adults with intellectual disabilities and their primary caregivers across Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo States, supplemented by interviews with social welfare officers and disability service providers. Quality of life is measured using a contextually adapted version of the Quality of Life Questionnaire for Persons with Intellectual Disability. Quantitative data are analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation analyses, while qualitative data undergo thematic analysis. The study examines quality of life across physical, emotional, social, and material wellbeing domains, and assesses the contribution of available welfare services to each. Findings are expected to confirm significantly reduced quality of life for adults with intellectual disabilities and identify absence of day services and employment support as the most critical welfare gaps. Recommendations include developing a South West regional day services programme for adults with intellectual disabilities and advocating for disability-specific welfare allocations in state social development budgets. Keywords: welfare services, intellectual disability, quality of life, South West Nigeria, adults.