Chidimma Uchegbu
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, has called for the adoption of sign language in schools to bridge the education gap and ensure inclusive education for girls with disabilities.
Ahmad made the call at the commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child 2025 event organised by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) at the Exclusive Serene Hotel, Wuye, Abuja, on October 16, 2025.
The Minister stated that sign language is a bridge, not a barrier, and that it connects minds, shapes friendships, and unlocks futures.
She urged the training of more sign language interpreters in schools, introduction of sign language across teacher training curricula, and equipping classrooms with tools that enable visual-gestural communication.
“We must align our policies, coordinate our funding, and synchronize our programs so that a girl who begins her journey in primary school will have pathways that lead to secondary education, vocational training, and beyond. We must ensure that disability inclusion is not an afterthought but a core principle across all sectors,” she said.
Ahmad emphasised that the theme, “Lead a Change: Learn Sign Language Today”, is a pledge to remove barriers, widen access, and ensure that every girl, regardless of ability, background, or circumstance, has a voice, a seat at the table, and a path to success in education and life.
The Minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to inclusive education, the rights of persons with disabilities, and the expansive potential of every girl learner, urging collective action to address the obstacles faced by girls, including poverty, stigma, and safety concerns.
“The Universal Basic Education Commission has a crucial mandate: to ensure that every child has access to free, compulsory, and quality basic education. We will continue to expand inclusive education programs—ensuring adaptive learning environments, sign language interpretation where needed, and teaching methodologies that meet diverse learning needs,” she said.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba in her speech, stated that UBEC has a policy in place to institutionalise the teaching and learning of sign language in all basic education schools across Nigeria.
She explained that the commission is working to ensure that schools have sign language interpreters, ramps, and other accessibility structures to enable children with physical disabilities to move with dignity and ease.
She added that UBEC is also investing in the training of teachers and caregivers to meet the unique needs of learners, especially as they adopt digital trends that enhance teaching and learning for children with special needs.
She urged parents, teachers, and caregivers to show empathy and patience to girls living with disabilities, and to appreciate their strength, resilience, and beauty, and also encouraged girls to start sign language clubs in their schools and lead the change, one sign at a time.
A young blind girl, Lawiza Ashiru, from the FCT School of the Blind, was honoured as a “Minister for the Day” and participated in the event, symbolising the values of equality, courage, and determination.
The event which was attended by pupils from special needs schools and regular schools, colleagues from other ministries, heads of relevant agencies, dedicated teachers, and the UBEC family, also had the UBEC Governing Board Chairman, Sen. Tanko Umaru Al-Makura, donate N1 million to the father of Lawiza who was revealed has two other physically Impaired children.
