Members of the Nigeria National Association of the Deaf (NNAD) have renewed calls for the legal recognition of Nigerian Sign Language (NSL), urging the National Assembly to pass legislation that would strengthen communication access and promote the rights and inclusion of Deaf Nigerians.
The demand was made during a peaceful advocacy rally in Abuja on Monday, September 28, as members of the Deaf community marched from Millennium Park in Maitama to the National Assembly as part of activities marking the International Day of the Deaf and International Day of Sign Languages.
The rally came a day before the Nigerian Sign Language Convention 2.0, organised by NNAD in Abuja under the theme, “Declaring Deaf People’s Rights Through the Recognition of Nigerian Sign Language.” The convention brought together Deaf leaders, educators, government representatives, disability rights advocates, development partners and other stakeholders to discuss language rights and the barriers Deaf Nigerians continue to face in accessing public services.
Speaking during the rally, NNAD National President, Mallam Muhammadu Haruna Tsafe, said the association was seeking the official recognition of Nigerian Sign Language and the establishment of a Nigerian Sign Language Council responsible for the development, regulation and standardisation of the language.
“This week is to mark the International Day for the Deaf and International Day of Sign Language globally. Today, we in Nigeria are celebrating to promote and advocate inclusivity for the deaf through the recognition of Nigerian Sign Language,” Tsafe said.
He explained that the rally was also intended to ascertain the status of the Nigerian Sign Language Bill before the National Assembly, stressing that the Deaf community had chosen peaceful advocacy in pursuing its demands.
“We are on this peaceful rally to the National Assembly to find out the status of the bill. We are peaceful, but if the National Assembly refuses to pass the bill, we will resort to protest,” he said.
The proposed legislation, according to NNAD, is intended to provide a legal and institutional framework for Nigerian Sign Language and establish a council that would oversee its development, regulation and standardisation. The association has argued that legal recognition is necessary to improve Deaf people’s access to education, healthcare, employment and other essential services.
For the Deaf community, however, the campaign extends beyond recognition of a language in law. It is also about ensuring that communication barriers do not prevent Deaf Nigerians from participating fully in society.
At the Nigerian Sign Language Convention, Tsafe described recognition of NSL as a question of equal citizenship, stressing that Deaf Nigerians are entitled to the same rights and opportunities as other citizens. He also linked the campaign to Nigeria’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the African Disability Protocol.
The implications of communication barriers are particularly significant in sectors such as education and healthcare.
Participants at the convention noted that meaningful recognition of Nigerian Sign Language would need to extend into classrooms, where Deaf children require accessible teaching, qualified personnel and learning environments that recognise their linguistic needs.
In healthcare, access to sign-language communication can determine whether Deaf patients are able to understand medical information, communicate symptoms, provide informed consent and navigate health services independently.
The issue also extends to employment, financial services, government communication, emergency response and access to justice. Participants at the convention emphasised that language accessibility intersects with virtually every major public service.
Tsafe therefore called on the Federal Government to recognise and adopt the Nigerian Sign Language Bill, while also urging authorities to fulfil Nigeria’s obligations under international and regional disability-rights instruments.
He further called for improvements in the quality of education provided in schools for Deaf persons, noting that Deaf Nigerians had attained master’s and doctoral degrees and possessed the capacity to contribute meaningfully to national development when given equal opportunities.
The NNAD president also acknowledged efforts by government agencies and organisations to provide sign-language interpreters at public events, but stressed that such initiatives should be supported by legislation to guarantee sustainable and nationwide inclusion.
The association also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for steps taken to improve the participation of Deaf persons in the electoral process.
Presidency Pledges Support
At the rally, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, assured members of the Deaf community that the administration would continue to engage stakeholders on issues affecting persons with disabilities.
Isa said the government had introduced social intervention programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at supporting vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities.
He described sign language as an important gateway to education, information, communication and understanding and said the Presidency would work with the National Assembly towards the passage of the Nigerian Sign Language Bill.
He also urged disability organisations, stakeholders and other Nigerians to work with government in addressing barriers confronting persons with disabilities.
The government’s position came as the wider convention brought together representatives from multiple sectors, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of the issues raised by the Deaf community.
Among those recognised at the convention were Professor Saleh Shehu, Executive Secretary of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission; Professor Rufa’i Ahmad, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Registration Board of Nigeria; Susanna Tijani, identified during the proceedings as a Sign Language Rights Officer with the World Federation of the Deaf; and Dr. James David Lalu, pioneer Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.
Representatives of the Federal Fire Service, Disability Rights Fund, NPF Microfinance Bank, Nigeria Postal Service and National Directorate of Employment also participated in the gathering, highlighting the need for a multi-sectoral response to barriers affecting Deaf Nigerians.
From Recognition to Implementation
The campaign for Nigerian Sign Language recognition is not new, but the Abuja activities have placed renewed attention on the gap between advocacy and legislation.
NNAD’s proposed framework includes the establishment of a Nigerian Sign Language Council with responsibilities relating to the development, regulation and standardisation of the language.
The association says such a framework would help ensure that recognition is translated into practical access across Nigerian institutions rather than remaining a symbolic declaration.
For a Deaf child entering school, a Deaf person seeking medical treatment, a job seeker attending an interview, an entrepreneur accessing financial services or a citizen trying to communicate with a government institution, the consequences of communication barriers can be immediate and practical.
Participants at the convention therefore stressed that legal recognition would need to be accompanied by standardisation, education, professional capacity and institutional implementation.
The NNAD leadership has also pointed to developments in other African countries, including Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Rwanda, where steps have been taken towards legal or constitutional recognition of sign language. The examples were cited during the convention as part of the argument for stronger institutional support for sign-language rights in Nigeria.
For Nigeria’s Deaf community, the demand is ultimately about more than language.
It concerns the ability to participate in education, employment, healthcare, public life and civic affairs without communication barriers limiting access to rights and opportunities.
As NNAD continues its advocacy, attention will now remain focused on the Nigerian Sign Language Bill and the response of the National Assembly and other relevant government institutions.
At the heart of the campaign is a message repeated throughout the Abuja activities: Nigerian Sign Language is connected to the identity, dignity, participation and rights of Deaf Nigerians.
