By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.
The Ogun State House of Assembly has passed a resolution urging the State Government to adopt and implement measures that promote the use of sign language interpretation across all government programmes, as part of efforts to foster greater inclusion of persons with hearing impairments.
The resolution, titled “H.R No. 132/OG/2025 Call for the Inclusion of Sign Language Interpretation in State Government Programmes to Promote Inclusivity for Persons with Hearing Impairment”, was adopted following a robust debate among lawmakers on the importance of the initiative.
Leading the debate, the sponsor of the motion, Hon. Babatunde Tella, emphasized that integrating sign language into government activities would demonstrate the State’s commitment to protecting the rights of persons with disabilities in line with national laws and global human rights standards.
Supporting the motion, lawmakers including Hon. Omolola Bakare, Hon. Kashamu Rasheed, and Minority Leader Lukman Adeleye called on the government to ensure that all state-organized programmes executive, legislative, or judicial include certified sign language interpreters to effectively engage the deaf and mute community.
They further urged all relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), especially the Ministry of Information and Strategy and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, to ensure full compliance with the resolution for inclusive governance.