Nigeria is estimated to have an estimated According to the National Commission for Persons with Disability (NCPWD), there are 35 million people with disabilities or PWDs, which is roughly 15% of the total population. This is a market that is larger than the entire population of many African countries, but their digital needs are not being met by the tech sector.
Professionals with disabilities, students, entrepreneurs and civil servants are excluded from platforms which could improve their lives. There are many complaints about inaccessible platforms, screen-reader compatibility, and services that ignore people with cognitive, visual, or mobility disabilities.
Saheed Okerayi is a blind tech enthusiast. “If we are going to talk about digital accessibility in Nigeria, it would take more than a 24 hour podcast to scratch the top,” he said. According to him, some platforms are accessible for people with disabilities, while others are not. Fundamental issues such as unlabelled buttons and missing alternative text (alternative texts) remain widespread.
The root causes
In Olufemi Bayode’s assessment of Nigeria’s accessibilty landscape, a digital expert who has spent many years navigating Nigeria’s digital exclusion crisis gave a harsh remark. “If I were to rate accessibility, whether it be digitally or otherwise I would give it only 4%.” According to Bayode, the root cause is simple: “When you talk about accessibility in this country nobody cares.” Whether it’s individual developers or government, people just don’t care.
Bayode breaks the most prevalent violations down into several categories.
Missing Alt Text and unlabelled Buttons: “So many images on websites and apps exist without alt text. One fintech app has a password entry screen where you have no idea what it is. Your screen reader cannot tell if it is an image or a button.”
Poor markups and semantics – “Developers do not follow the guidelines.” You have to scroll down to find buttons or links. You have to scroll to find buttons or message links.
Incorrect form labelling: Many developers use placeholders in place of accessible labelling. Screen readers do not read these aloud so users are unaware of what input is needed.
Lacking user-defined experience : “I have never seen this on a Nigerian site,” Bayode said. These technical shortcomings are a nightmare for users in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
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Public and private; big and small
From telecommunications to banks, from e-commerce platforms and media houses to private and public-owned establishments – the systematic exclusions of persons with disabilities are widespread across all major platforms and companies. This exclusion represents an enormous missed business opportunity. Globally, the market for disabilities represents over $13 trillion is the annual disposable income in Nigeria yet Nigerian businesses could miss out on this lucrative market because designers and developers of tech do not design with PWDs as a priority.
If a website is not built with persons with disabilities as a priority, it could lose customers twice the size of some nations. Imagine collecting N1,000 per PWD. We’re talking about billions,” Bayode stated.
For example, in the financial sector, accessibility is fragmented across platforms and devices. Users report vastly differing experiences, even with the same institution. Both large traditional banks and younger fintech competitors face challenges.
Bayode states that “for a Fintech app to be certified as accessible, I should have been able to set up and use it independently at least 95% of the time without sighted assistance.” Many Nigerian financial platforms fail to meet this benchmark.
Olayinka Akinbiyi is a blind entrepreneur who uses an iPhone. She describes her frustrations with the Zenith Bank App: “Zenith upgraded the app and made it inaccessible. I can’t do anything with that app. I have uninstalled the app.” Another user reports that Android version works better. This highlights inconsistency with accessibility. Similar issues plague other financial platforms. Kefas lungu, a programmer who is blind, complained about the unresponsive buttons on UBA’s e-banking website, navigation problems, and inaccessible keyboards. Cash Matrix and Wema Bank alert apps have been criticized for the inability to purchase airtime. Users have also complained about OPay’s PIN entry and password issues on Android devices. Platforms like PiggyVest, Cowrywise, and Cowrywise are plagued by unlabelled buttons and navigation problems.
During setup, many fintech apps require facial identification. Joseph Afolabi explains that he has to find someone to direct and hold the camera every time he wants to set up fintech apps. Bayode cites OPay as an exception, claiming that screen reader integration has enabled blind users to set up their apps independently.
Both e-commerce and service platforms have their own accessibility challenges. “Jumia may not be perfect, but I prefer it to Temu or Konga when it comes to accessibility,” says Ganiu Emilandu. A blind programmer, Ganiu Emilandu cites unlabelled buttons and the absence of alt text as two major issues. He said that he doesn’t open emails from Temu, because they lack alt-text.
Popular platforms for food delivery are also inaccessible. Users can only use them if they have “mastered” techniques to navigate the platforms. Transportation apps are slightly better but still need to improve alt text and button labels. Bayode believes that ride-hailing applications like Bolt and Uber perform slightly better than Nigerian apps because they were developed by foreigners and are subject to international laws which can land them in lawsuits if they are not followed.
Nigerian websites are also behind international standards. They lack keyboard shortcuts for navigation and images with captions, which can be found on sites such as the New York Times and BBC.
The most serious barriers to accessibility are the government-run digital services. “It is almost impossible for a blind person to apply independently for a passport,” says Emilandu. Accessibility issues begin on the first page. “There’s an area that requires you to click on something to verify the details. Face scanning is not blind-friendly, and there is no alt text to describe what it is.
Both the National Population Commission’s website and app are equally frustrating. “NPC said that you can apply online for [a] a birth certificate. Eja Manifest explains that when it comes to facial recognition, blind people will be rejected.
The challenges for users with hearing impairments are different. Hanu James, an advocate for the deaf, said: “We’re not even included physically. You are talking about online access. Let’s start with sign language interpreters at TV, events, and worship centers, before we move online.” Why do these issues exist?
Nigeria’s legal framework on disability rights has a blind spot in terms of digital accessibility. While Nigeria’s The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Act of 2019provides general protections from discrimination. However, it does not explicitly mention digital accessibility. This leaves a legal vacuum. The Act addresses physical accessibility in Part II (Sections 3-4), Part III (Sections 10-12), and Part IV(Sections 15-17), but digital spaces are not addressed.
Ghana, Nigeria’s West African neighbor, amended its Persons with Disability Act to mandate “adequate access to information, communication, including age-appropriate technology and systems” in 2020. This required public and private service provider to ensure formats such as screen-reader compatibility and sign-language translation.
Bayode explains that Nigeria does not have a policy to drive digital accessibility. “That’s the reason we’re doing almost nothing.” While general anti-discrimination laws could theoretically be applied, the lack specific requirements creates enforcement difficulties.
Fundamental misconceptions are at the root of this problem. Many don’t think visually impaired people can use phones, or afford them. Bayode explains that they believe people with visual impairment cannot do anything without help. This leads to a cycle in which developers don’t see accessibility as an important issue.
There is a mixed picture in the web design community when it comes to awareness and priorities. Anastasia Edusi is a Lagos-based web designer who represents the conscientious side of the spectrum. She is familiar with WCAG, and uses them in all her projects. She uses proper colour contrast and avoids colour-only indicators. She also implements alt text and consults people with disabilities when designing.
Her approach is not representative. Other designers don’t worry about accessibility because their clients don’t. One designer said that clients “pay for quick apps but don’t care about accessibility.” Ayodele Babalola, a designer, points out deeper systemic problems–many developers don’t consult UI/UX Designers on their projects.
Despite challenges, there are signs of progress in Nigeria’s digital landscape. Bayode acknowledged “Zenith Bank GTBank FCMB Paystack are all trying”. They do include some accessibility, but he stresses that there is still room for improvement.
Government organizations are also beginning acknowledge accessibility requirements. NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuiwa has committed championing digital accessibility policy frameworks. He acknowledged that the current framework, which targets 95% digital literacy in 2030, does not adequately meet the needs of PWDs.
NCPWD also partnered with agencies to launch the Accessibility Compliance Dashboard, which will be launched in March 2025. This dashboard will help drive accessibility advocacy, and monitor compliance. MTN has made great strides in providing digital literacy and skills to blind Nigerians.
Bayode says companies should take advantage of the Act’s mandate to ensure that at least 5% their workforce is made up of individuals with disabilities. This will allow them to hire tech-savvy PWD professionals, who can help inform practical technology development for people with disabilities. Bayode, who is a developer and wants to know where to begin implementing accessibility guidelines for platforms, recommends the WCAG guidelines. “It has a lot of features that will help platforms to grow.” Bayode also says that building accessibility from scratch is cheaper because you don’t have to change layouts or forms later. Include accessibility later and you may have to change your entire design.
Blind technology enthusiast, Okerayi recommends that companies include persons with disabilities when building their products. He argues that while automated accessibility testers are helpful, real users should be included in product testing before launch. “But before launching any product, the users should be consulted. This is done outside of the country. Mark your calendars for Moonshot by TechCabal on October 15-16! Moonshot by TechCabal will be back in Lagos, October 15-16. Join Africa’s leading founders, tech leaders, and creatives for 2 days of keynotes. Early bird tickets are now 20% off — don’t sleep! moonshot.techcabal.com
