FEATURE… Marginalised, defrauded: How Nigerian banks shut out visually impaired customers from ATMs 

Born with visual impairment, Azeez Olajumoke stood quietly in a queue to withdraw cash at a local bank in Ekiti State, southwest Nigeria. 

As her turn to use the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) got closer, Olajumoke’s unhappiness surfaced, not for her disability or the lack of an ATM card, but for one thing: “The ATMs are not user-friendly to people with visual impairment,” she said, as her voice reflected a weary frustration from years of exclusion.

For many Nigerians, using the ATM is a routine two-minute task. But for Olajumoke, an attempt to use the ATM was a moment to trade her privacy for assistance. Due to a lack of features such as functional headphone jacks, screen readers, braille markers or tactile graphic symbols, she is forced to disclose her most sensitive ATM Personal Identification Number (PIN) to whoever happens to be standing next to her. 

“If I want to use the ATM, I always talk to someone in the queue, either in front of me or behind me, to assist me,” she said, “I would beg them, ‘Sir or Ma, when you are done, please, can you help me use the ATM card?’” 

Her request for assistance often receives mixed responses, ranging from compassion to cruelty from other sighted users. While some offer a helping hand, others offer criticism. “Some will say things like: ‘When you know you cannot use the ATM, why did you come?’ ‘Why can’t you come with someone?’” 

She recalled a painful moment when she approached a bank security guard for help, hoping for a professional and safe transaction. 

“He (bank security guard) told me, ‘I can’t help you because if anything goes wrong, I don’t want to be held responsible, so go and look for someone else,’” she recounted.

Olajumoke’s struggle highlights a massive gap in Nigeria’s push for financial inclusion. While the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) continues to advocate for a cashless economy, the recent surge in ATM withdrawals in the country leaves a significant portion of the visually impaired population behind. 

The Nigeria National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey estimated that 4.25 million adults, aged 40 and above, in Nigeria are visually impaired or blind. Recently, research revealed that 24 million Nigerians have sight loss. 

CBN 2% ATM Policy Out of Touch with Reality 

In April 2010, CBN released the Standards and Guidelines on Automated Teller Machines (ATM) Operations in Nigeria. Section 2 (f) of the release explicitly states that: 

“2% of ATMs deployed shall have tactile graphic symbol for the use of visually impaired customers. This should be complied with within five years from the release of these standards.” 

It has been over 15 years since this standard was established, and 10 years since the deadline for compliance passed. 

Despite the penalty contained in the release, which states that: “Sanctions, in the form of monetary penalties / or suspension of the acquiring/processing service (s) or both, would be imposed on erring institutions for failure to comply…,” the actual number of fully accessible ATMs equipped functional with headphone jacks, screen readers, braille markers or tactile graphic

symbols, is near zero in practical terms for the visually impaired independent use. 

The apex bank also recently released draft guidelines for ATM operations in the country. Section 9 of the guidelines states that, “…ATMs shall be deployed to ensure accessibility and inclusivity.” 

However, the Centre for Infrastructural and Technological Advancement for the Blind (CITAB) criticised the CBN ATM accessibility guidelines, stressing that the apex bank has failed to implement an inclusive plan for the Nigerian special needs people. 

According to the organisation’s Executive Chairman, Jolomi George Fenemigho, essential accessibility features remain largely absent. He noted that audio guidance, Braille instructions and universally accessible controls continue to be overlooked. He also argued that the guidelines are vague about what genuine inclusion entails and offer no clear pathway to ensure ATMs are accessible to all users. 

Aki Emmanuel, the State Youth Leader of the Nigerian Association of the Blind in Cross River State, is one of the visually impaired persons the CBN 2% ATM policy has not practically helped out of the isolation of facing a screen-glass ATM that offers no feedback. 

After he stretched his hands towards the touchpad of a screen-glass ATM in his state, he noticed that the machine did not have a screen reader that could produce directional sound for effortless usage.

 

The simple act of withdrawing cash at the ATM has become a burden for him, “I see it as a difficult task,” he said, forcing him into a dangerous compromise of dependency. 

“There was a time I had to go with a sighted person to help me use the ATM because I knew it was very risky for a visually impaired person to seek assistance from strangers at the bank.

“I have reached out to people to help me before. Some of them showed me attitudes. Some would ask me, ‘Why didn’t you come with a sighted person to guide you?’ Those who have empathy would help. So, I don’t usually advise any visually impaired person to go to the bank seeking visual assistance for ATM withdrawal,” Aki maintained. 

Privacy Lost, Doubled Costs 

The lack of independent access does not just cost visually impaired Nigerians their dignity; it imposes a tangible financial penalty on their disability. 

A visually impaired bank customer in Anambra State, Somadina Chukwueloka, described a system that forces him to pay double for what sighted ATM users take for granted.

He calculated that a trip that would cost a sighted person N2,000 doubles to N4,000 for him because he must cover the transport fare of any sighted person he takes to the ATM.

According to him, withdrawing cash over the counter attracts a certain fee for withdrawal slips, which often makes him limit his withdrawal, having to pay for multiple slips to access larger amounts. 

“I have first-hand experience at a First Bank, you can’t withdraw more than N10,000 with the withdrawal slip, and for every withdrawal slip, you pay N50. Imagine I want to withdraw N100,000. That means I’m going for 10 withdrawal slips, which would cost me N500. 

“And there are transactions I may not be able to carry out because someone is assisting me to do it,” he added. 

Somadina stressed that using an ATM in Nigeria has been impossible for the visually impaired without significant assistance. He recounted how he had to visit a specific ATM multiple times with a friend to memorise the button locations. 

“It was not a one-time thing. We had to visit the ATM multiple times to be sure that the ATM keypads and options remain in one place and are never shifted,” he said. 

Somadina’s primary concern, however, remains the total erosion of privacy. He emphasised that no matter how close a trusted companion may be, the loss of privacy exposes him or any visually impaired person to financial risks and fraud. 

Defrauded

Isma’il Bilyaminu, a visually impaired person based in Kaduna State, on a Saturday, around 10 a.m, visited a GTBank ATM at Muritala Square in Kaduna hoping to withdraw cash. Unfortunately for him, no individual was at the ATM to help. 

“I tried my best to see if I could access the machine, but unfortunately, I couldn’t. I spent more than an hour before somebody came. Then I asked for his assistance. 

“Unfortunately, he exchanged my card for his card, thinking I had a lot of money there. Thank God I didn’t have much in the account then,” he said.

Upon getting home, Bilyaminu discovered that his ATM card had been swapped. 

“The following day, I quickly went to the bank to complain. The bank blocked my account and then gave me another ATM card. The manager even

advised me not to use the ATM, but rather to come directly to the counter for assistance and guidance. He also refunded the money stolen from my account,” he narrated. 

Somadina also cited that his visually impaired neighbour fell victim to fraud after requesting the assistance of an individual he met at the ATM stand. 

“He asked for help, and the person took his card and asked him how much he wanted to withdraw from the ATM. Instead of withdrawing the amount the blind guy told him to withdraw, the person withdrew more than the amount,” he explained. 

According to Somadina, unfortunately for the individual, the visually impaired person quickly checked the debit alert on his phone and discovered that the individual had withdrawn a higher amount than he was told to withdraw. 

“The blind guy quickly counted the money and discovered that the individual gave him the exact amount he told him to withdraw, but the debit alert showed he withdrew an amount higher. He raised an alarm, and the guy gave the money back to him and started giving excuses that, ‘I thought you said I should withdraw an amount higher,’” he said. 

In 2018, Olajumoke was scammed after seeking help from a stranger at the ATM. 

“I asked someone to help me use the ATM, and the person scammed me. The person withdrew all of my money. Everything. It was when I went to the

bank to complain that I was asked to get a police report before I could be given the footage of who did that,” she bemoaned. 

There were reports of another incident which occurred in 2024, where an unnamed lady allegedly swapped a visually impaired widow’s ATM card and emptied her account of over N2 million. 

According to the reports, the incident occurred after the visually impaired widow asked the suspect for assistance at an ATM stand in Nnewi, in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State. 

The theft was reportedly uncovered through the CCTV footage from the bank after the victim complained about receiving multiple debit alerts. 

POS Terminals as an Option 

Due to the failure of the banks to provide adequate accessible ATMs to the visually impaired persons in the country, this has forced some of them to resort to using the Point of Sales (POS) terminals, which also has its own inherent shortcomings. 

The Public Relations Officer of the National Association of the Blind, Ondo State Chapter, Nasirudeen Oladele, noted that resorting to a POS terminal as a visually impaired person serves as an alternative for him, but does not guarantee his absolute privacy.

“Most times I don’t make use of my ATM card. If the POS terminal has keypads, I can still use it. But if it is a screen touch, I will have to tell them (POS attendants) my ATM PIN. But most times, I usually transfer the money to them (POS attendants),” he said. 

What the Laws Say 

The Nigeria’s Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. Section 1 of the laws states that: 

“A person with disability shall not be discriminated against on the ground of his disability by any person or institution in any manner or circumstance.” 

Sections 3 through 5 also emphasised that physical structures shall be accessible to the visually impaired customers. The sections mandated that public buildings, including banks, and special facilities shall be made accessible to and for the use of persons with disabilities, including the visually impaired. 

The Act further stipulated a fine of N1,000,000 for corporate bodies found in non-compliance. 

A recent report revealed that in 2024, the federal government of Nigeria, through the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), threatened to sanction financial institutions that violate the accessibility law for people with disabilities (PWDs) in the country.

According to the report, NCPWD Executive Secretary, Ayuba Gufwan, said PWDs have fallen victims of third party intervention, “Due to their inability to access banking facilities. Their money is stolen by fraudsters because they can not access ATM Machines. They sought the assistance of anybody available and they’re shortchanged in the process.” 

Gufwan further stated that, “The commission (NCPWD) will sanction any erring organisation that refuses to provide an enabling environment for PwDs to do their businesses without any hindrance.” 

However, as of the time of filling this report, there is no credible official or publicly available information that establishes a specific number of banks that have been sanctioned or prosecuted under the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018, despite government threats of penalties.

 

ATM Card, Indemnity Form Saga 

The barriers Olajumoke and other visually impaired customers face are not only social but institutional. She revealed that a particular bank in Ekiti refuses to issue ATM cards to visually impaired customers unless they go through a rigorous and legal process. 

“If they must give a visually impaired person an ATM card, such a person must collect a form and go to court, then sign an undertaking that if anything happens, the user should be held accountable,” she said. 

Somadina also attested to this particular challenge, affirming that it is the right of every account holder to have an ATM card. He claimed that most Nigerian banks used to deny persons with visual impairment access to ATM cards, knowing that most ATMs are not accessible to these visually impaired persons. 

He added that sometimes visually impaired customers are required to sign an indemnity form, which they would take to court and swear before the commissioner of oaths, thereby shifting liability completely from the bank to the visually impaired person requesting the ATM card. 

“In case of any fraudulent activities, the bank will bring out the two signed forms— the ATM card request form and the other extra indemnity form that the visually impaired person is forced to sign,” he claimed.

Somadina recalled the discrimination he experienced while trying to obtain an ATM card at a local bank in his state. 

He said, “I visited the bank once to request an ATM card, and a whole branch manager opened his mouth to tell me, ‘What is a blind person doing with an ATM card? No oh! We don’t allow such things here.’ I took the matter up and made him know that it is my right to own an ATM card. 

“After the whole thing, he told the people at the customer service to give me the ATM card without the indemnity form,” he said. 

Stanley also explained how he visited a UBA bank to collect an ATM card, “they (the bank) told me to go and get an affidavit from the court before they could issue me an ATM. I was very mad at them.” 

While there are glimmers of hope for inclusion, from UBA’s unveiling of a braille account-opening form in 2023 for the visually impaired, to First Bank’s plans to introduce braille statements and voice-assisted ATMs. These steps remain isolated practices rather than industry standards. 

Failed Response from CBN and Nigerian Commercial Banks 

This reporter reached out to some commercial banks in Nigeria to capture their perspectives on the issue, including First Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Nigeria, Access Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Ltd. (GTBank) and First City Monument Bank (FCMB). 

On 17 February 2026, emails were sent to the official email addresses on the banks’ websites.

The email requested for specific efforts the banks have put in place over the last decade to comply with the CBN 2% accessibility rule, and the challenges faced in installing ATMs accessible to visually impaired customers in Nigeria. 

In addition, the email seeks the number of ATMs that have functional headphone jacks, screen readers, braille markers or tactile graphic symbols the banks have deployed for the use of visually impaired customers. 

The email further asked for the banks’ official positions on visually impaired customers asked to sign indemnity forms, to waive their rights to consumer protection as a condition for issuing ATM cards.

Some of the banks, including Zenith, FCMB, FirstBank and UBA, acknowledged receipt of the email, assuring that a review will follow and a response will be provided within 24 to 48 working hours. 

This reporter also contacted GTBank Customer Support via WhatsApp to inquire, but the response was vague and a bot-generated reply that did not address the enquiry.

The journalist put a call through to phone numbers found on some of the banks’ websites, but the calls were unresponsive. 

Also, on 28 January 2026, the journalist reached out to CBN through an email to request the specific mechanisms the apex bank had put in place over the last decade to monitor compliance with the 2% accessibility rule released in 2010. 

The email asked for the number of commercial banks CBN had sanctioned or penalised for failing to meet this standard after the compliance deadline had passed.

Furthermore, the email asked that CBN reveal current data on the percentage of ATMs in Nigeria that are user-friendly for the visually impaired (i.e., possessing active text-to-speech software). 

Seven days after the initial email, a reminder email was sent to CBN on 4 February 2026. 

The journalists also put a call through to CBN’s general phone numbers for a follow-up. One of the numbers was unresponsive, and the other was unreachable.

As of the time of this publication, neither CBN nor any of the commercial banks had responded to these inquiries. 

Ways Forward 

Mrs Emmanuella Akinola, the co-founder of AccessTech Innovation and Research Centre, a platform that offers assistive technology solutions, digital skills training and inclusive services for persons with disabilities in Nigeria, emphasised that the financial exclusion of the visually impaired persons is unnecessary given the vast available global technological solutions. 

Akinola affirmed that CBN should consider all-inclusive ATMs rather than the 2% slot. She advised that CBN’s criteria for any ATM that comes into or that can operate in the country should be the one that has certain features that anybody can use independently and efficiently. 

While acknowledging limited local production of ATMs in Nigeria, Akinola stressed that financial institutions in the country, before importation, should strongly consider ATMs with inclusive features such as Braille markers or a tactile keyboard, among others. 

“Why can’t CBN ensure that every ATM that comes into the country is accessible. These inclusive ATMs have already been produced and are available globally.” 

She called for adequate awareness, training and capacity building of banks’ procurement officers or ATMs contractors, who should always ensure all accessibility features of the machines are figured out correctly for the independent use of persons with different disabilities. 

“A particular bank in Nigeria brought in some ATMs that were accessible some years ago, but the problem was that text-to-speech was not activated. Whenever we do the accessibility audit of these ATMs, we find out that some

of the ATMs brought into the country have their accessibility features, but they are often not being enabled.” 

Akinola affirmed that the optimisation of existing ATMs across the country will also help address the exclusion gap of persons with visual impairments. 

Nothing For Us, Without Us 

President of the National Association of the Blind, Nigeria, Stanley Oyenbuchi—who also recounted how he was defrauded by an individual who took the serial numbers on his ATM card and used a huge amount of money from his (Stanley’s) account to subscribe to Bet9ja—suggested that banks should always consult the disability associations while addressing issues affecting people with disabilities. 

“The best way of solving this problem is to engage us. Some of our members are ICT experts who can guide them (banks) on the best way to make these ATMs accessible, including bank apps. 

“There was a time one of our members volunteered to offer consultancy services to a bank regarding their app. Now the bank’s app is operating well and accessible to people with visual impairment. Let the CBN and banks consult our association,” he said. 

“Make Life Easy Without Leaving Anybody Behind”

The Executive Director, Centre for Disability and Inclusion Africa, Mr Yinka Olaito, emphasised that the challenge is not about policy or technology but a lack of intentionality from the Nigerian banks. 

“In Nigeria, there could be laws, but there is no policy or law enforcement. 

“If the CBN has given a directive, why is it difficult for banks to comply with some of the directives, even though we know that the number of ATMs that the CBN requires is too low compared to the large number of people with visual impairment in Nigeria. How will 2% ATMs go around?” he stated.

Banks Need to be Intentional 

Olaito added that for banks to move faster in implementation and inclusion, CBN’s directives need to be enforced. 

While acknowledging that some banks are making efforts and have announced some changes, he said, “Banks need to be intentional. Banks need to move from just making pronouncements. They need to walk their talk. Some are making a considered effort towards these challenges because they are being threatened with legal suit.” 

Olaito advised that the marginalisation and financial exclusion of the visually impaired should be eliminated, including an indemnity form for technically blind persons applying for ATM cards. 

“We need to begin to look at how to make life easy for everybody without leaving anybody behind. Why should a visually impaired person, particularly technically blind, be allowed to put his money somewhere and then be marginalised and shut out or exposed to risks? 

“CBN, which is the leader and the regulator, has not been seen to take any very strong action in ensuring that people, particularly banks, are punished for negligence or the continuous marginalisation of persons with disabilities,” he affirmed. 

He called for continuous advocacy from centres for disability and all other concerned organisations to keep pushing for financial inclusion of persons

with disabilities, and keep demanding that life is made easier and nobody should be excluded. 

Naairudeen Oladele, who also doubles as the National Youth Secretary of the Nigeria Association of the Blind, stressed that banks should not deprive the visually impaired of their right to use ATMs, but rather upgrade the machines. 

“Banks should follow the trends of advancement, for inclusion and accessibility. Every bank can start by making at least one of its ATMs accessible to people with visual impairments. The ATMs should provide full speech feedback that guides through the insertion of the card, cash withdrawal and card removal. The buttons should also have inscriptions for easy differentiation of numbers,” he said. 

He called for inclusive banking where financial institutions see persons with visual impairment as important customers who should be given special attention. 

For a visually impaired person like Somadina, this is the pathway forward for Nigeria. He envisions a system where a user can simply plug an earpiece into the ATM to activate a screen reader, a standard practice in developed nations. 

He insisted that such a policy must come directly from the CBN and must be backed by strict penalties similar to those applied for Know Your Customer (KYC) non-compliance. 

As far as Olajumoke, who lost her savings to a scammer while trying to withdraw cash, is concerned, the solution is autonomy, not charity.

She advised that banks should install break codes or tactile markers on ATM keypads to help the visually impaired recognise numbers, alongside screen readers that guide the user through the transaction. 

In his view, Aki noted that the requirement for audio jacks, screen readers or braille in ATMs across Nigeria should be common, not limited to a small percentage of machines. 

He added that CBN should issue a circular explicitly banning the discriminatory practice of forcing people with disabilities to sign indemnity forms. He suggested that banks must institutionalise staff training on professional assistance and establish protocols for visually impaired customers when they walk into any bank.

 

By: Emmanuel Oluwadola 

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