As Nigeria adopts digital systems for public services, herders – a predominantly nomadic population – are left grappling with barriers that exclude hundreds of thousands of them from the benefits of this modernization effort. WikkiTimes’ Babaji Usman writes.
In the vast deserts of Northern Nigeria, cattle herders roam with their livestock in search of greener pastures. Many of them, like Lawali Damina, have been struggling to access essential identification documents. However, due to a cumbersome process, they abandoned it.
As Nigeria pushes forward with its digital transformation, the backbone of the country’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), systems that enhance public services and streamline governance, herders remain overlooked.
This predominantly nomadic group, integral to the nation’s agricultural economy, faces barriers in accessing identification, besides obstacles to accessing digital transactions and voter registration.
Nigeria’s digitalization effort holds immense potential for advancing governance, service delivery, and economic growth.
However, neglecting herders – mostly in rural settlements – one of the country’s most vulnerable populations threatens to undermine this progress.
For 38-year-old Adamu Shehu, a herder from Bauchi State, the quest for a National Identification Number (NIN) has been riddled with obstacles.
These obstacles, according to him, alienate them further and threaten to deepen socio-economic disparities.
His attempts to enrol at NIN enrolment centres, often located in distant towns, have ended in frustration.
“The officers tell me to wait in line, but by the time it’s my turn, the system goes down,” Lawali recounts.
Findings suggest that his story is one of the thousands of others who face logistical and systemic challenges in obtaining the crucial documents needed for identification.
For Alhaji Garba Umar, a herder from Kaduna State who moves Southward through Bauchi, the lack of a NIN meant losing his right to many government services.
Umar’s community, a remote area of Kagoro in southern Kaduna State has no NIN enrolment point, only if he and thousands of others can make a two-day journey.
This and many similar barriers reinforced their invisibility and further marginalised them from services that directly impact their lives.
Barriers to Inclusion
One of the biggest challenges herders face is the requirement of a fixed address to obtain identification.
As nomads, they rarely remain in one place long enough to establish formal residency.
Another factor could be language barriers and low literacy levels further complicate their ability to navigate the bureaucratic process.
“The digitization effort assumes that everyone lives a sedentary lifestyle,” explains Dr Musa Ibrahim, a Bauchi-based analyst who has studied nomadic communities in Northern Nigeria.
“This systemic oversight leaves mobile populations, like herders, at a severe disadvantage. Without targeted interventions, these communities will continue to be excluded.”
He decried that while millions of citizens enjoy government services, herders remain neglected in government interventions.
Lack of Awareness
While the Nigerian government said it has made efforts to address this gap, a lack of effective awareness campaigns has significantly hindered progress.
Many herders are unaware of the importance of obtaining identification documents like the NIN or how to navigate the enrollment process.
“There’s no proper outreach to educate these communities. Most of the time, herders only learn about these requirements when they attempt to access services and are denied,” Ibrahim said.
Even efforts like mobile enrollment teams and awareness campaigns, initiated by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), have fallen short due to limited resources and logistical constraints.
The lack of a NIN has dire economic implications including for herders.
Without it, they are unable to open bank accounts, access loans, or participate in financial transactions, forcing them to rely on informal and often exploitative credit systems.
Ahmed Sani, a herder from Taraba State, expressed his frustration with the financial barriers he faces.
“I can’t open a bank account without a NIN, and without a bank account, I can’t save money or take loans to grow my herd,” he told WikkiTimes.
He explained that he spared much of his time to enlighten his herder colleagues on the benefits, but he fell short and countless nomads across the country have no identification.
The Disenfranchisement
The exclusion of herders from the digitization effort has also disenfranchised them politically.
With voter registration now requiring NIN, herders without the necessary identification documents are effectively denied their constitutional right to vote.
“The lack of accessible voter registration centres in nomadic communities is a glaring issue.
“It alienates herders from the political process and also perpetuates their marginalization,” added Ibrahim.
Umar, like many others, feels invisible in a system that seems to prioritize urban and sedentary populations.
“It’s as if our contribution to the national economy doesn’t matter,” he added.
Govt Efforts and Limitations
To its credit, the Nigerian government has taken some steps to address the inclusion gap.
Mobile registration units have been deployed to rural areas, and campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of identification documents have been launched.
However, these efforts are hampered by resource constraints, poor planning, and insufficient community engagement.
The lack of a cohesive awareness strategy remains a critical issue.
Many herders do not understand the benefits of obtaining identification documents or how these documents can improve their access to essential services.
Public information campaigns, where they exist, rarely reach nomadic communities or use mediums that are accessible to them.
“What we need is targeted communication. Radio programs in local languages, engagement with community leaders, and consistent follow-up efforts could make a significant difference,” explains Dr. Ibrahim.
Expert Recommends
For Ibrahim, to ensure herders are not left behind in Nigeria’s digitalization drive, actions must be taken to bridge the gap.
He said establishing mobile and decentralized registration centres in rural and nomadic areas could ease access for underserved populations, providing much-needed opportunities to obtain identification documents.
The expert identified the ease of registration processes and introducing flexible proof-of-identity requirements would better accommodate the unique challenges faced by these mobile communities.
Paul Daniel, the Bauchi-based financial expert argued that engaging local leaders – including herders – to build trust and raise awareness about the importance of identification is equally essential.
Such efforts, according to Paul, would foster inclusivity and ensure that herders understand the benefits of participating in the digitization initiative.
He stressed that regular evaluation of inclusion efforts is critical to identify gaps and ensure the effectiveness of these initiatives.
According to the experts, by implementing these strategies, Nigeria can transform its digitization efforts into a tool for empowerment, ensuring that marginalized communities are not left behind.
NIMC Official Responds to Challenges in NIN Enrollment
As Nigeria advances its digitization efforts through the National Identification Number (NIN) project, the Assistant General Manager of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Ikoku Azubuike Alvan, said the agency is trying to reach everyone, but the task is enormous.
Azubuike acknowledged the diversity of Nigeria’s population, highlighting its over 220 million citizens, representing 370 ethnic groups that speak more than 500 languages.
He emphasized that while Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity defines its identity, it also presents unique challenges in managing a universal identification system.
“With over 150 million Nigerians already enrolled for NIN, we’ve made significant progress, but much remains to be done to include all demographics,” he said.
Azubuike pointed out that the process is hampered by many challenges, including the hard-to-reach areas. “Resource constraints, logistical arrangements, and interoperability hitches are among the key issues NIMC faces,” he explained.
These hurdles, coupled with the nomadic lifestyle of herders, often make it difficult to reach them in remote and rural areas.
To address this, Azubuike stressed the importance of collaboration, noting that other entities can participate in ID enrollment after certification by NIMC.
“We are transitioning from being just a player to serving as a regulator, ensuring that partners meet the standards required to help us reach underserved populations,” he added.
The NIMC official highlighted the critical role of identification in achieving the federal government’s broader development goals.
“Among the Presidential priorities, no initiative can succeed without proper identification. Thus, NIMC is the agency of the day,” he asserted.
Despite its challenges, Azubuike expressed optimism about leveraging Nigeria’s DPI to create an inclusive digital ecosystem.
He believes that DPI has the potential to bridge the gap and ensure that no demographic, including herders, is left behind in the digitalization drive.
This report is produced under the DPI Africa Journalism Fellowship Programme of the Media Foundation for West Africa and Co-Develop
