In the heart of Somolu, a diverse suburb in Nigeria’s bustling commercial capital, Lagos, a unique congregation gathers every Sunday. This community is part of a remarkable branch of the Christian Mission for the Deaf, a church that has served as a spiritual and social refuge for Nigeria’s deaf and mute population since 1956.
One of the church's pastors, Remi Akinremi, takes the pulpit each week with striking charisma. His sermons, delivered in expressive sign language, are met with the full attention of a congregation made up entirely of people who share the experience of living without hearing. For them, this is far more than a Sunday service—it is a sanctuary of belonging and understanding in a society where people with disabilities are often marginalized.
In many parts of Nigeria, traditional beliefs still shape perceptions of disability. Deafness, blindness, and other impairments are frequently misunderstood, sometimes even regarded as spiritual curses or divine punishments. This stigma has long isolated individuals with disabilities from mainstream society, pushing families to seek miraculous interventions from churches or traditional healers. But Akinremi challenges that narrative with pride and clarity.
“African society believed that deafness or blindness or any disability was a curse, so they took people to churches or fetish priests looking for a miracle,” he explains. “But it doesn’t work like that. The fact we can communicate with our hands—sign language—is the miracle itself.”
The church not only provides a place of worship but also functions as a learning and empowerment center. It includes a sign language teaching unit, which Pastor Akinremi believes is essential for helping deaf individuals engage more deeply with the world around them. For many members, this is the first space where they have found community, connection, and self-worth.
One church member described how transformative the experience has been. “The church has great importance for us, the deaf, because with it we come to know Christ, and it also provides us with a community for people like ourselves, whereas before we were living in isolation with our families.”
In a country of over 232 million people, an estimated 9 million Nigerians are deaf or live with hearing impairments, many of whom lack access to inclusive education, employment, and social services. For them, institutions like the Christian Mission for the Deaf are more than just churches—they are lifelines.
Through its history, inclusive message, and unwavering focus on dignity and empowerment, this church continues to reshape how disability is seen—not as a curse, but as a different way of experiencing the world. And within its walls, what once was seen as a limitation is now celebrated as a gift.