If we must achieve the goal of “No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights,” it must be a community effort. To move forward, primary school teachers need training in Sign Language, and we will do our best to support their learning. Parents of pupils with hearing impairments also need to learn Sign Language so they can communicate effectively with their children.
While policies and legal frameworks are essential, no society has advanced quickly relying on these alone. We have witnessed the promulgation of several legal frameworks and policies without seeing the kind of progress we anticipated. To move faster, we need more than laws and policies—we need community involvement, engagement, input, and continuous collaboration to make lasting change.
Above positions and many other thoughts were expressed by experts at the event to commemorate International Sign Languages Day 2025 organized by the United Nations Information Centre, Nigeria, in collaboration with SpeakingFingers Network led by Mrs. Treasures Uchegbu. IThe event took place in Lagos, Nigeria, on September 23, 2025.
In her welcome address, Mrs. Wunmi Laolu Akande, leader of the United Nations DisabiStrategy Groupand member of theUNFPA Disability and Inclusion Unit, emphasized the importance of the day and the UN’s efforts in Nigeria. “As UN bodies, we prioritize and celebrate the uniqueness of Sign Language as a means of communication for the deaf. This is why a day is dedicated to celebrating it,” she said. “Beyond this, the importance of Sign Language as a human right informed the theme for this year’s celebration: No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights.”
Treasures Uchegbu, SpeakingFingers Network
The co-convener, Mrs. Treasures Uchegbu, urged the audience to be intentional about bridging communication gaps so that no one is left behind. “I began my journey into Deaf inclusion when I met a 21-year-old woman who was deaf and living with HIV without support,” she recalled. “From there, we have helped shape several lives.”
Beyond greetings and goodwill messages from strategic stakeholders, a major highlight of the event was a panel session featuring experts across the disability inclusion ecosystem. Panelists included Mrs. Adenike Oyetunde-Lawal, General Manager of theLagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), Yinka Olaito, Executive director of the centre for disability and inclusion Africa, Ruth Adejumo,parent of a child with hearing Impaired, Tobiloba Audu Oyegoke,, A deaf advocate and Ambassador as well as Alhaja Islamiat Oshodi among others
In her presentation, Oyetunde-Lawal said, “Government is doing its best to translate Sign Language into official languages.” She added that the theme of the day was significant for its emphasis on sign languages in the plural, reflecting the diversity of signing systems. “What we’re doing here today serves as an example of how government can translate human-rights discourse into action,” she said. “However, exposure and daily interaction put as much demand on families and individuals as on government.”
She also stressed, “The focus should be more on personal interaction—responsibility rests on all of us.” Oyetunde-Lawal expressed optimism about the future of Sign Language in Nigeria: “Sign Language will become a national language, and if I had my way, I would include it because it is a global language.”
Yinka Olaito at the event
Yinka Olaito, responding to a question on what legal frameworks and policies are needed, said, “Stakeholders must go beyond legal frameworks and policies. We must make Sign Language a community agenda where everyone speaks up, instead of focusing only on laws and policies, which have delivered little based on past experience.”
Voices of stakeholders at the event
Alhaja Islamiat Oshodi, President of the Association of Children’s Education Teachers Program (ACEP), stressed the need to involve basic school teachers. “We may not achieve much if teachers at the foundational level are not co-opted. This is why our association is considering how teachers can acquire the basics of Sign Language, especially the Nigerian Sign Language version,” she said.
Another panelist, Mrs. Ruth Adejumo, who has lived experience as the mother of a child with a hearing impairment, urged the government and the disability inclusion community to go beyond lip service. She said many children with hearing impairments continue to be ostracized without adequate language and communication support. Adejumo also encouraged parents of children with hearing impairments to learn Sign Language intentionally so their children can be fully integrated into the family system and society. “We need more than tokenism to move faster—everyone must be involved,” she said.
Adesuwa Oyerinde
Other dignitaries at the event included Mrs. Adesua Oyerinde, Head of the Sign Language Unit of a faith-based organization, Daystar Christian Centre; Mr. Sodeinde Olubowale, President of the Association of Sign Language Interpreters of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter; among others.
Some participants at the event
The International Sign Languages Day 2025 celebration was held in a hybrid format, enabling participants to join from across the nation and making space for United Nations system participants.
