Nehemiah Danjuma has made history as the first deaf lawyer from Northern Nigeria to be called to the Bar.

Danjuma, from Jaba, Kaduna State, studied Common Law at the University of Ilorin, graduating with a second-class upper degree. He completed his Bar Part II programme at the Nigerian Law School’s Abuja Campus. He shared his achievement on X, writing: “First Deaf Lawyer from Northern Nigeria. Called to the Bar. History made.”

His journey wasn’t easy. When he first applied to the University of Ilorin in 2017, he was offered Primary Education Studies instead of Law. He rejected it and tried again in 2018 until he got what he wanted.

At the Nigerian Law School, his close friend, Chukwu Nzubechukwu, learned sign language just to communicate better with him. “Got tired of using notes. Nemmy changed my life!!!!!” he wrote.

Beyond academics, Danjuma is a disability rights advocate and youth leader. At the University of Ilorin, he served as Students’ Union Senator for students with disabilities. He was also National President of the National Association of Nigerian Deaf Students, where he organised the association’s first national conference in 2023 and launched its magazine.

His advocacy work earned him international roles. From 2021 to 2024, he served as a Youth Adviser on Human Development with the European Union Youth Sounding Board in Nigeria. He was also a Coelho Law Fellow at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, where he received special training in disability rights law and policy.

During law school, he completed externships at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

Danjuma thanked the organisations that supported him: the Voice of Disability Initiative, which partly funded his sign language interpreter, and the Jasan Foundation, which gave him a full tuition law school scholarship.

He currently works as Programmes Lead at the Voice of Disability Initiative, coordinating advocacy and disability inclusion projects.

His call to the Bar came during the 2026 ceremonies held between July 7 and 10 at the Body of Benchers Complex in Abuja, where thousands of new lawyers were admitted.