The study was carried out on inclusive education policy in Nigeria: challenges and the way forward. Inclusive education is recognized globally as both a human right and a strategic approach to improving equity and quality in education. Anchored in international frameworks such as the Salamanca Statement, the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Nigeria has also enacted domestic policies including the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act 2004, the National Policy on Education (2014), and the National Policy on Inclusive Education (2017, revised 2023). Despite these commitments, implementation remains inconsistent. The study identifies major challenges hindering inclusive education such as policy fragmentation and weak coordination, inadequate and irregular financing, limited teacher capacity in inclusive pedagogy, poor infrastructure and inaccessible learning materials, rigid assessment systems, weak data management, socio-cultural barriers, insecurity, and lack of accountability mechanisms. Evidence shows that while some progress has been made, particularly in urban areas and through NGO interventions, systemic gaps persist across rural and conflict-affected regions. The study proposes strategies including harmonization of policies across federal, state, and local levels, sustainable financing, teacher training in inclusive pedagogy and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), improved infrastructure and assistive technologies, culturally sensitive community sensitization, strengthened school safety, robust data systems, and accountability indicators for school leaders. It concluded that inclusive education is not merely a policy aspiration but a human rights imperative and a national development priority. Ensuring its effective implementation will foster equity, social justice, and sustainable educational transformation in Nigeria.