Systemic Barriers to Disability-Inclusive Higher Education in Nigerian Federal Universities: A Policy and Practice Analysis

This doctoral study conducts a comprehensive policy and practice analysis of systemic barriers to disability-inclusive higher education in Nigerian federal universities, contributing original evidence and analytical frameworks to an empirically underdeveloped area of Nigerian education policy. Despite the existence of anti-discrimination provisions in Nigerian law and disability-related statements in some university policies, higher education for students with disabilities in Nigeria remains significantly constrained by poorly implemented policies, inaccessible physical environments, untrained academic staff, and inadequate support services. The study employs a critical policy analysis design across three interlocking phases. Phase one conducts a discourse analysis of national education legislation, National Universities Commission guidelines, and institutional disability policies from all forty-three federal universities. Phase two collects survey data from one thousand two hundred students with disabilities enrolled in federal universities across all six geopolitical zones, measuring accessibility, accommodation utilisation, academic engagement, and campus belonging. Phase three conducts case studies of three universities demonstrating varying degrees of inclusive practice, using document analysis, interviews, and observation. Integration of findings through critical realist synthesis generates an original explanatory account of how systemic barriers are produced and sustained, and identifies the mechanisms through which inclusion is achievable under current Nigerian higher education conditions. Recommendations address policy reform at the National Universities Commission and institutional level. Keywords: disability-inclusive higher education, federal universities, systemic barriers, policy analysis, Nigeria.