Commissioner Advocates for Sign Language Promotion and Societal Integration

Dr. Ini Adiakpan, the commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare has advocated for promotion of sign language and societal integration of people with deafness.

She made the call during the 2nd South-South Deaf Summit, organized by the Nigeria National Association of the Deaf, convened in Akwa Ibom State from April 10th – 13th, 2024 with the theme; “Rebrand, Rebuild & Strategize for Greater Impact,”.

Speaking as a distinguished guest, the commissioner commended the Deaf Cluster for orchestrating a successful summit, emphasizing its significance in fostering growth and impact within the cluster. She stressed the importance of embracing internet connectivity to access vital resources, advocating for the cluster’s global competitiveness.

Dr. Adiakpan urged the Deaf community to actively promote sign language within communities, facilitating better communication and societal integration.

She emphasized on unity, and encouraged the cluster to cultivate a unified voice for collective advancement.

The guest speaker also highlighted the importance of networking and leveraging technology to enhance the cluster’s endeavors. She expressed gratitude to the disability-friendly State Governor and his wife, Her Excellency Pastor Mrs. Patience Umo Eno, for championing inclusion within the administration.

The State Chairman of Akwa Ibom state Association of the Deaf, David Aloysius Polycarp in his welcome address, informed the guests that Akwa ibom is fast becoming the most inclusive state for PWDs in Nigeria.

According to him; “there is no activity that our government will not include PWDs in their plan, this is because we have a team members of disability champions in person of His Excellency, Umo Eno, the Executive Governor of Akwa ibom state and a mother to the disability community, Dr. Ini Adiakpan, the Honourable commissioner for women affair and social welfare.”

Polycarp recalled, “recently, the governor approved the sum of N100 millions Education intervention fund in which all the students with disability received #250,000 for undergraduate students and #300,000 for postgraduate students.

INN reports that the summit featured leadership training and empowerment initiatives tailored to the Deaf community, symbolizing a commitment to their holistic development.