Barriers to the Implementation of the Nigerian Disability Act (2019) in Selected Public Buildings: Evidence from Nigeria’s Post-Independence Capital Territories

Effective implementation of disability legislation is essential to equitable access to public buildings, yet compliance with Nigeria’s Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act (2019) remains limited despite statutory obligations. This study examined implementation barriers across nine government secretariat buildings in Former Capital Territory in Old Lagos City and the Current Federal Capital Territory, in Abuja, using a sequential mixed-methods design combining a structured questionnaire administered to 49 built environment professionals (98% response rate) with a comparative legislative content analysis benchmarking ten provisions of the Act against seven international accessibility standards. The legislative assessment yielded a Comparative Adequacy Index of 1.80/3.00, classifying the Act as Partially Adequate, with sensory accessibility and enforcement provisions performing weakest. Survey and interview findings revealed a substantial gap between professional awareness and actual implementation, driven by inadequate funding, legislative under- specification, institutional incapacity, and attitudinal resistance, indicating that persistent noncompliance reflects systemic governance deficiencies rather than limited professional knowledge. The study recommends integrated legislative reform, strengthened institutional capacity, dedicated financing mechanisms, and the integration of accessibility standards into mandatory continuing professional development frameworks to improve compliance and advance inclusive public infrastructure. Evaluating Therapeutic Architecture Principles in Wellness Resort Design: