Nehemiah Danjuma becomes first deaf lawyer from Northern Nigeria

Danjuma, from Jaba, Kaduna State, studied Common Law at the University of Ilorin and completed his Bar Part II program at the Abuja Campus of the Nigerian Law School. His journey has garnered admiration from colleagues and disability rights advocates, with a friend learning sign language to communicate with him during law school. Danjuma initially faced a setback in his university admission, being offered Primary Education Studies before successfully reapplying for Law in 2018.

Beyond his academic pursuits, Danjuma is a prominent disability rights advocate and youth leader. His professional interests include disability law and policy, human rights, international law, and the intersection of assistive technology and disability. He served as a Students’ Union Senator for students with disabilities at the University of Ilorin and as National President of the National Association of Nigerian Deaf Students for two terms.

Danjuma also served as a Youth Adviser on Human Development on the European Union Youth Sounding Board in Nigeria and was a Coelho Law Fellow at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, specializing in disability rights law. He completed externships at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. Danjuma acknowledged support from the Voice of Disability Initiative for a sign languag