
Nigerian woman recounts biometric challenges due to rare condition of absent fingerprints
A Nigerian woman, known as J for Jidds on Instagram, has shared her experiences navigating biometric identification systems in Nigeria without fingerprints. She discovered her condition, identified as adermatoglyphia, in 2017 during her first Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board JAMB examination registration. She described spending hours at registration centers, with officials attempting various methods like using sand, spirit, chalk, and watermelon to capture her prints. The difficulties persisted during examinations, banking transactions, and the National Youth Service Corps NYSC program, where she sometimes had to use parts of her foot due to faint toe ridges. Jidds highlighted the anxiety and frustration caused by these challenges and questioned the lack of provisions for individuals with her condition despite institutional awareness. She also mentioned facing misconceptions, with some people labeling her a ritualist. Her video prompted similar accounts from other Instagram users who have faced comparable issues. A dermatologist, Dr. Folakemi Cole-Adeife, commented on the post, advising that individuals with adermatoglyphia can obtain medical confirmation and exemption letters from teaching hospitals to present to institutions requiring fingerprint biometrics.



