By Alfred Ajayi
The right to personal identity is recognized in international law through certain declarations and conventions including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (UDHR), the Convention on the Rights of the Child, (CRC) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, (ICCPR). Article 6 of UDHR gives everyone the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law”, regardless of whether they are citizens or immigrants, students or tourists, workers or refugees, or any other group.
Also, section 42 (2) of the Nigerian Constitution equally forbids subjecting any citizen of Nigeria to any disability or deprivation merely by reason of the circumstances of his birth. Individuals without a duly registered legal identity are invisible to the State and at risk of statelessness and disconnection from legal and administrative frameworks protecting their rights.
Sadly, search for national identity among PWDs is characterized by uncommon struggle. Those whose right to identity has been denied on grounds of disabilities, feel frustrated and excluded. Drawn from three states (Anambra, Enugu and Osun states), the respondents recounted the various dehumanizing experiences they encountered in obtaining the all-important National Identification Number, (NIN).
They bemoaned the violation of their rights to identity and dignity of human persons across registration centres including offices of the National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC).
Different strokes for different people
Susan Kelechi resides in Abuja, the nation’s capital. She got disabled as a result of polio myelitis. In a chat with Radio Nigeria, she recalled many fruitless efforts to get captured. “I have faced significant challenges in the NIN registration process. To get to many registration centers, people cross gutters, and most of them are without necessary facilities like ramps, elevators and signage to aid persons with disability”.
“Staff at these centers often lack the training to engage respectfully and effectively with PWDs, leading to delays and frustration which force many of us to abandon the process.
She said, “the long waiting times can be physically exhausting, especially for those with mobility impairments or chronic health conditions. Many PWDs have endured the hardships to get it. Unfortunately, I still don’t have it,” she regretted.
Consequently, she cannot open a bank account, access government programs, or even apply for certain jobs. “I can’t register for health insurance or secure identification for traveling within and outside the country. I feel marginalized and discriminated against alongside thousands of other PWDs. We are excluded from opportunities to thrive,” she bemoaned.
Simeon Babawale heads the Association of the Deaf in Osun State, South-west Nigeria. He got his NIN in 2014 but the struggles of members who are yet uncaptured, still worry him. “Our members who made efforts to register on January 10, 2022, encountered several obstacles. The worst is that they could not communicate their needs personnel at registration outlets do not understand Nigerian Sign Language (NSL).
“Consequently, many of us do not have their NINs despite repeated attempts. Those who obtained their NINs were assisted by interpreters or supportive family members. For those battling against economic deprivations, the cost of accessing registration centres from their residence is unbearable” Babawale submitted.
Chidinma Ajemba, Publicity Secretary of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disability, (JONAPWD) in Anambra State, recounted the hurdles she crossed to obtain her NIN way back in 2014. “It wasn’t easy for me because the registration portal was upstairs. Despite being a wheelchair user, I was carried to the two-storey building”.
Earlier this 2024, Ajemba needed to effect a change in her national ID card but her experience 10 years ago was still fresh in her memory. “I needed the NIN for my international passport and I noticed that they used my second name as my first name. To avoid the rigour I went through the other time, I used my second name as my first name”.
“My close friend, who also has a physical disability, does not have the NIN. So, she can’t open a bank account despite being a trader. She uses my account for transactions and the situation is biting her seriously”.
Elizabeth Ikele’s story is similar to that of Ajemba. She cannot stand for a long time as a result of a spinal cord injury she sustained many years ago. She narrated how she fought her way through three years ago. “The centre was too crowded as many people came as early as 5am to take numbers. As I stood there confused, somebody whispered to me that they were giving priority attention to persons with disability.
“I climbed upstairs holding the rails but I was ordered back with other people. I tried to explain my disability but no one listened. A short while after, I saw a visually-impaired guy, accompanied by his wife. They equally turned him back but he resisted them demanding to be attended to. Finally, he was allowed in.
Ikele’s attempt to get along with him was refused. “I was chased back again probably because I wasn’t as violent as the guy. After a long while, I was allowed in.
“At that centre, I saw people being treated based on the amount they paid. Many came and were ushed in like VIPs. Your money determines how early we get attended to,” she regretted.
The Chairman, JONAPWD in Osun State, Stephen Oluwafemi, expressed grave worries about sustained discrimination and denial of access against his members. “We struggle to get things done. To be captured, I was asked to smile, I smiled but they said the machine could not see me. I was asked to frown. I did all that until the machine recognized and captured my face”.
“The machines often complain about the sight of many of us who do not have eyeballs for the machine to capture. Their eyes are closed. Some people were discouraged because of those challenges”.
“But we advise them to continue trying because NIN is becoming very important in Nigeria. If you don’t succeed at once, try again. We sensitize them regularly,” Oluwafemi said.
His counterpart in Enugu State, Onyebuchi Mba, recounted his interventions in cases involving PWDs. “A lady wanted a change of name and to reconcile information on her national ID card with other documents. She called me to help. I went there and she was later allowed in. After she sat to be attended to, I left for something else, only for me to call and she told me sustained sustained sustained she was eventually not attended to.
“Some of them were asked to bribe their way through. So, where you don’t give money, you may have to say bye-bye to such exercise. Most of our members easily give up on their pursuit. Many of those who later succeeded went through horrible experiences because the officers do not to understand anything about disability”.
Fineglo Ejikeme, also recounted his own experience. “I had spinal cord injury some years back. When I did mine, I was carried to the registration point within the NIMC office at Emene around 6 or 7 years backwards.
“The funniest thing is that you are going to come like 2 or 3 times. They may tell you that there is no electricity and we should contribute money for fuel. Many have good reasons to discontinue the process”.
He observed that linking NIN obtainment to access to public services has increased the pressure for PWDs. “Back then, nobody was querying you on anything. So, once some of us felt stressed, they quit. But, now, NIN is everything.
In terms of attention to PWDs at registration centres, respondents were divergent. “I will not deny that. They do give PWDs a kind of preferential treatment to an extent. But just like I’m telling you now, it all depends. Some people do, while some don’t. Some just consider you a human being with others,” Ejikeme explained while experience of Ikele was different. “I climbed upstairs holding the rails but I was ordered back with other people. I tried to explain my disability but no one listened.
Most registration centres are disability-unfriendly
Most centres used for registration including NIMC offices across the country are inaccessible in many respects for PWDs. “They don’t even consider accessibility issues when they are making these plans. It never occurs to them that persons with disabilities are citizens of Nigeria. My experience then taught me that they had no plan for PWDs,” Ikele lamented.
“Those doing the registration outside are even worse in terms of handling disability matters. Besides, their machines are not as powerful as those at NIMC offices. So, many of our members still prefer to visit there,” Simeon Babawale said, buttressed by Ajemba,
“Little or nothing is being done about our accessibility concerns. There are no plans to ease off the process for PWDs. That is why only few of us have National identification number”.
Respondents were particularly pained that enactment of disability right laws in their states has not addressed the challenges. As at August 2024, only 19 out of the 36 states of the federation have enacted their disability rights laws remaining 17 others.
“The Act at the federal level and the law in our state say that in such a long queue, our members should be given priority attention, but nobody is observing that. May be when we have disability rights commission, the law will be better implemented,” Onyebuchi, JONAPWD Chairman, Enugu said.
The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 prohibits all forms of discrimination against PWDs. It states that “a person with disability shall not be discriminated against on the ground of his disability by any person or institution in any manner or circumstance. a) a body corporate. Such discrimination upon conviction attracts a fine of N1,000,000 to a corporate body while an individual is either fined N100,000 or sentenced to 6 months imprisonment or both.
The National Policy on Disability in Nigeria was formulated in 2018 to address issues ranging from the care of PWDs in special establishments to creating necessary conditions for their education and rehabilitation as well as ensuring equal opportunities.
Nigerians yet to understand disability – Advocate
A Disability Advocate, Yusuf Afolabi, blamed the cries about exclusion highlight a systemic failure to uphold the fundamental right to identity, and a violation of PWDs’ fundamental human rights. “This exclusion perpetuates cycles of marginalization and hinders their ability to fully access opportunities and services. It is directly linked to a pervasive lack of understanding and awareness of disability within Nigerian society”.
“Disability is an afterthought rather than an integral part of the societal fabric. It fosters an environment of exclusion, where the needs of PWDs are not adequately considered in the design and implementation of essential government services,” he noted, while also expressing worry about the yearning gap between policy formulation and implementation.
“Efforts had been made by government through NIMC, but they have demonstrably fallen short of creating a truly inclusive registration process. The persistent challenges faced by PWDs suggest inadequate planning, haphazard resource allocation, and lack of commitment to addressing the specific accessibility requirements of this marginalized group.
Anambra-based Disability Advocate, Yusuf Afolabi
“Tokenistic efforts, such as creation of a few accessible centers, are insufficient to address the widespread systemic issues that need to be tackled,” Afolabi noted.
JONAPWD chairmen and cluster heads regretted that despite that the challenges of PWDs had been presented on many occasions to NIMC, not much has changed. “On February 20, 2022, we submitted a formal letter to the NIMC office in Osogbo, highlighting the challenges faced by our members and requesting accommodations. However, we have yet to receive a response or see any meaningful changes,” Babawale said.
To effectively address the issues, respondents want the Federal Government to mandate all registration centers to provide facilities such as ramps, elevators, clear signage, assistive technologies and regularly train their staff on disability awareness, as well as respectful communication and support for PWDs during registration.
“They should provide sign language interpreters, screen readers, and other assistive technologies in every center as well as deploy mobile registration units to reach PWDs with mobility challenges, particularly in rural areas,” Afolabi recommended while Kelechi called for dedicated registration days or points for persons with special needs.
For Chidinma Ajemba, registration centres should be fully digitized for anyone to be able to register within the comfort of his or her house. Currently, you still have to go to a centre for capturing and some NIMC offices are far away. There is no direct mobility to the NIMC office here at Enugwu-Agidi”.
“People should be able to visit NIMC website and correct their names, dates of births and other information on their own with little or no cost. It’s alleged that many registration centres charge exorbitantly up to N40,000 to change their names. Those monies are not for the government”.
For those with hearing impairment, providing sign language interpreters at registration centers will ease communication challenge. “Let them modify the registration process to include visual aids, such as pictures or diagrams, to support deaf individuals. We will willingly collaborate with any organization to achieve smooth registration process for our members,” Babawale, leader of Osun State Association of the Deaf, solicited.
Respondents identified sustained sensitization and training of all involved in the registration process on disability awareness and how best to manage issues from various clusters of the disability community. They also strongly recommended nationwide awareness campaign about the rights of PWDs and the importance of accessible NIN registration.
We are equally concerned – NIMC
Director General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, recently noted that so far, NIMC, has captured 115 million Nigerians while upscaling its infrastructures to host 250 million identities in its National Identity database, in alignment with the policy thrust of the Tinubu administration to adopt technological solutions and platforms to address the challenges facing the country.
Also responding to concerns around obtaining the NINs during a workshop organized by the Media Foundation for West Africa, (MFWA) and Co-Develop, for Digital Public Infrastructure, (DPI) journalism fellows in Nigeria, Deputy Director/Head, Strategy and Program Office, NIMC, Dr Alvan Ikoku, explained that arrangements had been made to accommodate PWDs and the elderly.
“We recognize that there are persons living with disabilities and senior citizens in our society and we are very deliberate about caring for them. Those who can come to registration centres are given preferential treatments. For those unable to come out, we can organize to take care of them wherever they are.
“For PWDs, the supervisor at the registration center is to take their pictures to show he disability that necessitate the request to permit a bypass”. Bypass is what permits persons whose faces or biometrics cannot be easily captured to be registered.
“Also, front-end partners, who work with persons with disabilities, including NGOs, licensed because of their own particular use cases, are more flexible because their target audience should be those persons with disabilities,” Ikoku explained.
According to him, the NIMS architecture has iris in it but procuring the scanner is capital intensive. “If we ask FEPs to procure, they will view as punitive. We will probably get an intervention to procure iris across the board. The few we procured for testing purposes, are functioning optimally,” he said.
On the allegation of people paying before being permitted to register for NIN, Ikoku said, “We are also looking for people to set an example. Some of them even say that they have to settle an oga (boss) in Abuja. It’s not true. I’m pained by this development because it’s not a management policy”.
“Unfortunately, complaints are not always ready to name or give us the contacts of the culprits. Rather, they start sermonizing you – It’s not fair now. You want to sack somebody. That’s part of the problem,” he lamented.
The slow pace at which the numbers are issued has been attributed to funding constraints of the past which is now being addressed by present administration as the World Bank is coordinating others like the European Investment Bank, and the French Development Agency, to jointly fund the project dubbed Identification for Development, (ID4D), which is aimed at revolutionizing identification and access to services.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, inaugurated the steering committee for the project, which among other objectives aims to establish a secure and verifiable digital identity for every Nigerian.
The Director General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, on the occasion, noted critical role of digital identity in driving socio-economic development and citizens’ empowerment. “The Nigeria Digital Identification for Development Program represents a bold and ambitious initiative aimed at leveraging digital technologies to enhance service delivery, improve governance, and unlock opportunities for our citizens’.
NIMC’s Head, Strategy and Program Office, Ikoku, was optimistic that the intervention under the ID4D project will drastically increase enrollment rate going forward. “Now, we probably have in excess of 25,000 systems and FEPs are striving to successfully enroll as many people as possible to have good return on their investments. This has also helped us to extend our coverage nationwide.
“From the comfort of their home, Nigerians can now modify just about any data that people would usually modify such as names, dates of birth, addresses, and even telephone numbers.
Nigerians, who constitute the estimated 1.3 billion (about 16% of the global population currently experiencing significant disability, earnestly hope the reap the benefits of the assurances by NIMC in the nearest future.
This report is produced under the DPI Africa Journalism Fellowship Programme of the Media Foundation for West Africa and Co-Develop
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