The Nigeria National Association of the Deaf (NNAD) has called on the National Assembly to pass the Nigerian sign language bill to promote equality, inclusion and access to essential services for deaf persons in the country.

The National President of NNAD, Haruna Tsafe, made the call in an interview on the sidelines of a peaceful rally to the National Assembly marking the International Day of the Deaf and the International Day of Sign Languages.

Mr Tsafe said the Nigerian deaf community is estimated at seven million people and deserves equal opportunities and full participation in society.

He said the rally was organised to advocate for the official recognition of Nigerian Sign Language (NSL) and the establishment of a Nigerian Sign Language Council to regulate and standardise sign language communication in the country.

“This week is to mark the International Day for the Deaf and International Day for Sign Language globally; today we in Nigeria are celebrating to promote and advocate inclusivity for the deaf through the recognition of the Nigerian Sign Language.

“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.

“We have requested the official recognition of the Nigerian Sign Language, which would lead to the establishment of the Nigerian Sign Language Council, which will regulate and standardise communication inclusion for the deaf.

“We often say Nigeria is the giant of Africa; we have to lead by example. Nigeria is a leading state on the continent; if the bill is passed in Nigeria, many other African countries will do the same.

“We call on the Nigerian government, as signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the  African Disability Protocol, to please comply with the Disability Act.

“We ask government to accept, adopt and rectify our NSL bill which covers every area of our needs like access to communication, employment, health and other social services,” he said.

He said countries including South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda had taken steps to recognise and regulate sign language, urging Nigeria to demonstrate leadership by following suit.

According to him, official recognition of Nigerian Sign Language would strengthen access to communication, employment, healthcare, education and other social services for deaf persons.

He called on the federal government to fulfil its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the African Disability Protocol, and to implement the provisions of the Disability Act.

Mr Tsafe commended efforts to provide sign-language interpreters at public events, but said such initiatives needed legislative backing to ensure sustainable inclusion across all sectors.

He also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for efforts to promote the participation of deaf persons in the electoral process.

He urged the government to improve the quality of education for deaf persons in schools, noting that deaf Nigerians had attained master’s and doctoral degrees and could contribute significantly to national development.

Also, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Mohammed Isa, said the President Bola Tinubu administration remained committed to building an inclusive society.

Mr Isa said that the administration was committed to engaging stakeholders across sectors in the decision-making process, particularly on issues affecting persons with disabilities.

He said that the government had introduced several social intervention programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to benefit vulnerable groups, including members of the deaf community.

He described sign language as an important gateway to education, information, communication and understanding.

Mr Isa, however, said government alone could not meet the needs of all citizens, urging stakeholders, organisations and individuals to join forces with the administration to address the concerns of Nigerians with disabilities.

(NAN)