Globally, inclusive education is essential for providing special needs students with quality education. The National Policy on Education and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act (2018) require inclusive practices in Nigeria. Implementation is patchy, especially at the grassroots level. Oji River, an Enugu State local government area, is typical of developing regions with underfunded inclusive education. This study examined the challenges of special needs education in inclusive schools in Oji River. Specifically, the study aimed to: (1) identify major challenges affecting implementation of inclusive education; (2) examine the availability of resources and facilities; (3) assess the level of teacher preparedness; and (4) evaluate the influence of societal attitudes on the inclusion of learners with special needs. The study was guided by Green's Compensatory Behavioural Adaptation Theory of Deaf Social Response (CBATDSR), which holds that disabled students' actions are adaptive responses to environmental deficiencies. Descriptive survey research was used. 200 teachers, administrators, special education staff, and students from Oji River inclusive schools participated. Simple random sampling yielded 133 respondents. A structured questionnaire, the "Challenges of Special Needs Education in Inclusive Schools Questionnaire (CSNEISQ)," was verified by experts and tested for reliability using the test-retest method (Pearson correlation coefficient).The study found that poor financing, resources, teacher readiness, and negative social attitudes limit inclusive education in Oji River. Despite progressive national policies, policy language and classroom practice differ, making inclusive schools in name only. The study recommended that the government increase ring-fenced funding for inclusive education, establish a Central Special Needs Resource Centre in Oji River, require teacher licensing training, organise community awareness campaigns to combat stigma, and create peer inclusion clubs in schools. Future research should compare urban and rural inclusive schools and qualitatively examine disabled students' lives.