The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Hon. Mohammed Abba Isa, has called for stronger policies and deliberate investment in Sign Language interpretation and accessible communication to advance disability inclusion and guarantee equal opportunities for Deaf persons.
Abba Isa said the availability of qualified Sign Language interpreters in public institutions, schools, healthcare facilities, courts, government programmes and major public events was critical to enabling Deaf persons to participate meaningfully in national development.
The presidential aide made the call while speaking as Special Guest at the 2026 International Youth Day National Summit for Deaf and Young Persons with Disabilities and Inclusive Future Excellence Awards.
The summit, organised by the Abuja Association of the Deaf (AAD) and its partners to commemorate the 2026 International Youth Day and Deaf Awareness Month, had the theme: “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations: Advancing Disability Inclusion and Equal Opportunities with Sign Language.”
Abba Isa, who was represented by his Media Aide, Mr Lanre Oloyede, described Sign Language as more than a communication tool, stressing that it serves as a critical bridge to education, healthcare, employment, justice, access to information and political participation.
“A truly inclusive society must deliberately invest in Sign Language interpretation and accessible communication,” he said.
He urged government institutions, media organisations and digital platforms to adopt accessibility measures, including Sign Language interpretation, captioning and other accessible formats, particularly on platforms providing public information.
The presidential aide commended the AAD and its partners for organising the summit, describing the initiative as timely and significant in providing Deaf youth and young persons with disabilities opportunities to engage, develop leadership capacity and explore economic opportunities.
He stressed that young persons with disabilities were not seeking charity or sympathy but opportunities to lead, innovate, create and contribute meaningfully to national development.
“This gathering is a powerful reminder that young persons with disabilities are not asking to be left behind or merely carried along. They are ready to lead, innovate, create opportunities and contribute meaningfully to the development of our country,” he said.
Speaking on the summit theme, Abba Isa noted that despite differences in backgrounds and life experiences, Nigerians shared common aspirations for dignity, quality education, employment, economic empowerment, access to information and participation in decisions affecting their lives.
He stressed that disability inclusion should be treated as a matter of human rights, social justice, equality and sustainable development rather than charity.
The presidential aide also called for stronger efforts to move beyond policies and ensure the practical implementation of disability inclusion programmes across the country.
Speaking earlier, the National President of the Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD), Mallam Haruna Muhammad Tsafe, called for the legal recognition of Nigerian Sign Language as a critical step towards strengthening the rights and inclusion of the Deaf community.
Tsafe said formal recognition of Nigerian Sign Language would strengthen advocacy, improve communication access and promote greater participation of Deaf persons across all sectors of national life.
He noted that several countries had taken legislative steps to recognise Sign Language, citing Kenya as an example, and urged relevant authorities and stakeholders in Nigeria to intensify advocacy for similar legal recognition.
The NNAD President also called for increased government investment in special schools, particularly the School for the Deaf in Kuje and the School for the Blind in Jabi, Abuja.
According to him, the institutions require adequate funding, infrastructure, learning materials and professional support to provide quality education and develop into centres of excellence for persons with disabilities.
On political participation, Tsafe urged persons with disabilities to become more actively involved in the democratic process through voter education, awareness of their civic rights and registration to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
He stressed that political participation was essential because government policies, legislation and budgetary decisions directly affect the programmes, services and opportunities available to citizens, including persons with disabilities.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Abuja Association of the Deaf, Mr Ayoade Beyioku-Alase, called on government institutions and private organisations to deliberately mainstream persons with disabilities into their programmes, policies and activities.
Beyioku-Alase particularly advocated the provision of Sign Language interpretation during television programmes, news broadcasts and other public information platforms to guarantee equal access to information for members of the Deaf community.
He said Deaf persons and other persons with disabilities should not be treated as an afterthought or sidelined in national development, stressing that they were citizens with equal rights, dignity and aspirations.
The AAD chairman further urged government, corporate organisations and other stakeholders to recognise the capacity and potential of persons with disabilities and create an enabling environment for them to contribute meaningfully to national development.
The summit brought together members of the Deaf community, young persons with disabilities and other stakeholders to deliberate on disability inclusion, equal opportunities, leadership, communication access and the active participation of persons with disabilities in national development.
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