Africa Loses Hundreds Of Billions Of Dollars To Exclusion

Excluding people with disabilities costs African economies hundreds of billions in lost GDP every year.

The figure is based on International Labour Organization’s estimates that low and middle-income countries lose between 3% and 7% of their GDP due to the exclusion of persons with disabilities from the workforce.

Applied to Africa’s combined GDP of some US$3.4 trillion, the estimate reveals a staggering economic loss.

This is the stark economic reality raised by We Can Do More, a new pan-African campaign launching today on International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This campaign is launched by the African Union Commission, African Disability Forum and Light for the World, supported by the German government through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

The campaign challenges the outdated view that disability inclusion is a matter of charity. Instead, it presents compelling data showing that the exclusion of more than 80-million Africans with disabilities stifles innovation, productivity and market growth across the continent.

“For too long, we have looked at tools to increase accessibility as a compliance cost. We need to look at these as a path to higher GDP,” says Idriss Maïga Alzouma, chairperson of the African Disability Forum. “When we block 80-million people from getting to school or work, we’re not just violating rights, we’re sabotaging our own development.”

The We Can Do More campaign highlights that universal design – making infrastructure, products and services accessible to all – is a catalyst for economic resilience. From providing accessible digital banking to inclusive agricultural tools, removing barriers allows millions of citizens to become active contributors rather than beneficiaries.

A plan for growth, not just a promise

The campaign points to the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa (the African Disability Protocol) as the definitive plan to unlock this potential.

Unlike previous frameworks that offered broad aspirations, the protocol provides specific, legally binding mandates for member states to dismantle barriers in employment, education and infrastructure.

“This protocol is a roadmap for a stronger economy,” says Alzouma. “By ratifying and implementing it, member states are unlocking a significant market segment – larger than the population of South Africa – and unleashing a wave of diversity that can drive innovation.”

Concrete action needed

The campaign urges policymakers, corporate leaders and civil society to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action:

• Policymakers should audit national laws to align with the protocol and enforce universal design standards

• Businesses should recognise persons with disabilities as a vital talent pool and consumer base

• Citizens should challenge stigma and demand accessible communities.

Join the movement

“The African Union observes this day to underscore its continued efforts to translate the African Disability Protocol into practical, daily realities. As a landmark normative instrument, the Protocol is pivotal in advancing the rights, protection, and dignity of persons with disabilities. Its effective domestication across Member States embodies our continental commitment to equality and inclusion” says the African Union Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, H.E. Amb. Amma Twum-Amoah.

“Our primary objective remains unequivocal: to eliminate the physical, social, economic, legislative, and attitudinal barriers that hinder participation and limit opportunity. Addressing these obstacles constitutes both a development priority and a fundamental human-rights responsibility. An inclusive society yields collective benefit; when all individuals are empowered to participate, contribute, and lead, the continent’s progress is accelerated.”

The We Can Do More campaign invites all Africans to join the movement for an inclusive, prosperous continent.

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