Nehemiah Danjuma was among hundreds of graduates recently celebrated at the 39th Convocation ceremony of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. The promising, Deaf young man graduated with an LL.B. Hons. (Second Class, Upper Div.). Such feat, laudable by any standard, assumes a new dimension with the challenges of deafness in tow. But the intriguing part remains the practiced panache Nehemiah brought to bear on the academic journey.
Coming from a minority community largely characterized by mediocre, herd mentality, Nehemiah stands out distinct for higher ideals of excellence. A close-up interaction with him leaves the impression of a young man who is versatile, versed and verified in outlook. Add to it the infectiously likeable aura he radiates and hope runs high that here comes a beacon set on a high road to light up the trajectory of disability justice in Nigeria through personal excellence and the instrument of law.
In this chat with Alexander Ogheneruemu, Nemmy, as he is fondly called, gives a peek into an exhilarating odyssey – the genesis of his romance with law, the innate and practiced abilities that allows him navigate the dynamics of Deafness in a predominantly hearing society, his personal ideals and, of course, his vision for the disability justice crusade in Nigeria.
What inspired you to pursue a degree in Law?
Nehemiah: In 2015, while in SS1, I was selected to participate in a competitive U.S. Department of State sponsored Exchange Program known as the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES Program). Through this program, I attended one year of High School at Rocky Mountain Deaf School, Denver, Colorado. There, I completed over 100 hours of volunteer service, actively participated in school activities such as literary competitions, did multiple cultural presentations about Nigeria, and made the honor roll.
However, [the] one experience that shaped my career trajectory and solidified my interest in Law was the workshop organized for YES Program students with disabilities. At the workshop, I came to know about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). I saw how People with Disabilities (PWDs) in the United States are advocating for their rights using the ADA. I learned for the first time that there are Deaf Lawyers. This experience instantly made me reflect on the situation in Nigeria. At the time, Nigeria still did not have a Disability Law, and I did not know any Deaf Lawyer. Fortunately, the following year, 2016, I met Gbenga Aina, who happened to be the first Deaf Lawyer out of Nigeria. I made the decision there and then to pursue a law degree when I come back home and to dedicate my professional life to working to promote disability rights in Nigeria.
What challenges did you face as a Deaf student, and how did you overcome them?
There were numerous challenges – ranging from inability to participate in most of faculty extra-curricular activities like moot competitions, chamber weekly meetings and clubs due to communication barriers. Arrangement for sign language interpreters by the Center for Supportive Services for the Deaf are only made for lectures – excluding extracurricular activities. Furthermore, law being a highly specialized discipline comes with lot of jargons. There were times I didn’t have an interpreter (throughout 300L). Other times, the interpreter assigned to me wasn’t good at the job, making it difficult to follow the lecturer. This meant I had to work twice as hard. So I relied heavily on personal reading. I’m mostly a self taught learner. I learn and grasp complex concepts by indepth private study. I believe I have the ability to learn anything I put my heart to. So I read a lot.
I’m not a big fan of lectures. I skipped classes a lot during my time in school. I was not exactly lazy. Sometimes I felt that I didn’t learn much in class and preferred to read lecture notes and supplement them through personal research. So attending classes felt performative and unproductive for me.
How did you navigate the challenges of balancing academics with leadership roles and extra-curricular activities, etc?
Friends and classmates helped a lot and the Centre for Supportive Services for the Deaf (CSSD)- now renamed to Centre for Students with Special Needs (CSSN) helped with Sign Language Interpreting in the class room. I have excellent multi-tasking skills. I confidently handle many tasks at a time, alternating between each one and prioritizing the most pressing tasks or the most urgent deadlines. I can’t say I have excellent time management skills or I don’t procrastinate. So what has helped me balance my academics, leadership roles and extra-curricular activities is my ability to multi-task.
Can you share your experiences in student politics and leadership positions?
I had a great experience serving as the Senator representing Students with Disabilities at the Students’ Union Senate Council during my final year. In that office, I represented the nearly 90 students with disabilities population in the university. As a senator, I was active and served as the Secretary of SDGs committee and also got one of my bills vetoed to amend the SU Constitution to use more correct disability-related terms.
Within my Deaf community on campus, I was the association’s Public Relations Officer and Secretary at different levels of my academics. I reached the pinnacle of the Deaf students association leadership when I was twice elected President of National Association of Nigeria Deaf Students (NANDS).
How did you communicate effectively with hearing colleagues and peers in these roles and in the mainstream?
I have excellent written communication skills and I’m intentional about effective communication. So I made efforts to communicate effectively by reaching out whenever necessary to ask for information or clarification on information I may have missed. An interpreter worked with me during my leadership stint in the Students Union Government. When an interpreter is not readily available, I find a willing note-taker among my fellow senators to help jot the most important points. You see, in every mainstream environment I find myself in, I always try to have deep, meaningful connections with, at least, one person who becomes my ears when the need arises. I easily make friends, so finding help to bridge the communication gap was not that difficult. But there’s often a snag. While I am able to follow conversations with a note-taker, my active participation gets limited.
Were there any notable challenges or successes during your tenure?
There were both. In 2023, I led the team that organized NANS first-ever, Deaf Students National Conference held in Shere Hills, Jos, Plateau State. The conference brought together sixty students from nineteen different institutions for a four-day networking, career and professional development workshop. NANDS, under my leadership, started a partnership with Opeoluwa Sotonwa Foundation (OSF) to provide scholarships to Deaf Students in tertiary institutions. Since launching last year, scholarships worth 5.7 million naira have been awarded to some 48 scholars. I’m a pioneer recipient of the Professor Konyinsola Ajayi (SAN) Fellowship scholarship category which recognizes an outstanding law student with disability.
While serving as a senator in the Students Union Senate, I had a right to participate in each senate sitting. On two occasions the right was not released[for some reasons]. The Senate floor is heavily regulated by protocols. By rules of professional interpreting, an interpreter on stage should, ideally, sit with the Senate President (the symbol of authority on the Senate floor) – visible to all, and importantly, close to the speaker for clearer audio reception and translation. However, this sitting arrangement contravened senate protocols and some senators kicked against it. I stood my ground, and leveraged on my closeness to the Senate President to personally talk him into resolving the conflict between access rights and organizational protocol.
Accessibility is a more important consideration than any organizational protocol in an event or professional sitting. We must always advocate and enlighten people on why things are done in a particular way. In my situation, I had to enlighten them where the interpreter needed to sit and why it’s important.
With disabilities, there’s always the issue of discrimination, low expectations from mainstream society, etc. What are your experiences around these?
There was no direct or indirect discrimination that I could perceive. [But] there’s something called the ‘theory of low expectations’ where people think you’re in a position solely because of your disability and consequently expect less quality output from you. I make sure that in any mainstream setting, I find myself, I change that perception and leave a lasting impression by taking active leadership roles, getting tasks done timely and in a competent manner. I had roles in the Senate council. I was the secretary of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) committee. In that role, I was one of the speakers that facilitated a webinar introducing the university’s wider student community to SDG. I also sponsored a bill to benefit my constituency on the Senate floor.
From the foregoing, what will you recommend to counter stereotypes limiting PWDs leadership to disability roles?
First, I think the saying ‘charity begins at home’ applies here. We need to invest in our community and explore diverse fields. Why are most students with disabilities studying special education-related courses? We need to diversify so that we are in more mainstream spaces.
Second, we need to show we are competent, capable, and can deliver quality work when put in a professional setting. Like I said earlier, we need to destroy the ‘theory of low expectations’ often found in the mainstream by delivering quality work, actively leading, and not just passively observing or participating for participation’s sake.
Three, organizations can actively take initiative by being intentional about giving PWDs the opportunity to lead – with the right support and environment of course.
What leadership skills did you develop, and how do you think they’ll benefit your future endeavors?
I developed advocacy skills (for myself and others) and I believe this will be handy in my career as a lawyer. I also developed problem-solving skills, teamwork, organization and project management skills. These skills are essential in any role I would find myself.
How do you think your Deaf identity influenced your academic and leadership experiences?
I believe charity begins at home. While I could have gotten involved in faculty leadership and politics, I chose to focus on giving back to my community first.
What’s your message to Deaf youth aspiring to higher education?
Find your passion and follow it. You don’t have to follow the crowd in deciding the higher education path you want to take. We need diversity.