By Esther Pius Ekong I Friday, July 03. 2026
LAGOS, Nigeria – Handwriting is more than a means of communication. It represents one’s identity, personality and emotions. This aligns with the ancient Latin maxim, “Verba volant, scripta manent” which means “spoken words fly away, written words remain”.
While personality should not be judged solely by handwriting, it can provide valuable insight into a person’s habits and character, going by the Latin maxim, “Acta exteriora indicant interiora secreta” meaning “external acts reveal the inward mind”. It was once considered an attractive quality
There was a time when our parents wrote romantic letters to their loved ones because distance was unkind. Those letters conveyed affection, emotion, effort and intimacy. They carried the soul of the writer. They were treasured and preserved because they kept alive the memory and presence of the writer whenever the heart grew fonder.
Every parent delights in a child’s scribble on a piece of paper. Though unreadable, those beautiful scribbles signify that the mind has begun its journey into creativity. Handwriting reveals certain traits of the writer, such as neatness, orderliness, patience or even carelessness.
While personality should not be judged solely by handwriting, it can provide valuable insight into a person’s habits and character, going by the Latin maxim, “Acta exteriora indicant interiora secreta” meaning “external acts reveal the inward mind”. It was once considered an attractive quality.
The importance of handwriting was reflected in the fact that it was, and still is, taught in primary schools because it was regarded as an aspect of identity that had to be guided and protected. Pupils and students competed over whose handwriting was the best.
They often avoided classmates with illegible handwriting whenever there was a need to compare notes. Teachers could easily recognise the handwriting of their pupils and students. It was a matter of pride that they not only knew the names of the children under their care but could also connect a particular handwriting to a particular name. This ability demonstrates that handwriting is an extension of one’s identity. Parents and teachers therefore guided their children and wards to develop clear and legible handwriting.
Our teachers constantly reminded us of the need to write legibly in both internal or external examinations. They warned that poor handwriting could lead to failure even when a student possessed exceptional knowledge. A brilliant candidate could lose valuable marks simply because an examiner struggled to read the script.
Handwriting was also one of the factors considered during employment exercises. Many Organisations required handwritten applications from prospective employees.
To many employers, good handwriting offered a glimpse into an applicant’s personality and created a favourable first impression. After all, who would not be curious to see the face behind an excellent handwriting?
Beyond education and employment, handwriting has long played an important role in criminal investigations. Even when a suspect insists, “I did not commit the crime”, handwriting may tell a different story, further confirming the efficacy of “Res ipsa loquitor”, “the fact speaks for itself”. No two people produce exactly the same handwriting or pen strokes. Each person’s writing is unique.
Forgery of signatures remains a common crime in our society. For example, where there is a variation in a customer’s signature during a banking transaction, subsequent transactions may be affected because a doubt has been cast on the authenticity of the maker’s signature.
To further demonstrate, the Supreme Court in MOHAMMED DOGONYARO AUDU VS. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA (2024) LPELR-62977 (SC) held thus:
“Now, even though PW3 testified and gave his expert opinion, the finding that the signatures on the various documents were by the Appellant, was a decision which was made by the trial Court and affirmed by the Court below (at page 700 of the record). PW3 just offered his expert opinion while the trial Court made the decision on whether the evidence was of such a nature and character that established that it was the Appellant who signed the documents in question.
“This is apparent as the conclusion reached by the Court was also based/aided by the signatures and writing made by the Appellant in open Court during the trial – Exhibit D3. Such a process is valid under Section 101(1) and (2) of the Evidence Act. It is therefore not correct to say that it was PW3 who came to the determination on the signatures of the Appellant on the documents in question, as the Appellant has projected in his arguments.”
Section 101 (1) and (2) of the Evidence Act, 2011 (As Amended 2023) referred to in the above authority provides thus: (1) “In order to ascertain whether a signature, writing, seal or finger impression is that of the person by whom it purports to have been written or made, any signature, writing, seal or finger impression admitted or proved to the satisfaction of the court to have been written or made by that person may be compared with the one which is to be proved although that signature, writing, seal or finger impression has not been produced or proved for any other purpose”. (2)
The court may direct any person present in court to write word or figure or to make finger impressions for the purpose of enabling the court to compare the words, figure or finger impressions so written with any words, figures or finger impression alleged to have been written or made by such person; Provided that where a defendant does not give evidence, he may not be so directed to write any words or figures or to make finger impressions.
Furthermore, Section 101 (3) of the Evidence Act (supra) provides thus: “After the final termination of the proceedings in which the court required any person to make his finger impressions, such impressions shall be destroyed”. Underlining mine for emphasis.
Writing by hand is also a form of exercise. It actively engages the nervous system, the fingers, the wrist, the arm, even the heart. It keeps these parts active and flexible. In the course of my professional duties, I once had cause to write continuously for almost four hours. Before long, I began to experience pain in my fingers, wrists and shoulders. It then dawned on me that it had been a very long time since I had written continuously for such a lengthy period.
Handwriting has also been regarded as a reflection of one’s personality. Depending on the individual involved, it was even one of the qualities that attracted affection from the opposite sex. It often reflected orderliness, composure and discipline. Today, the growing dependence on keyboards and keypads has earned those who still prefer pen and paper the label of being “old school”.
The introduction of digital education, though innovative and beneficial in many aspects, has steadily displaced handwritten notes. The sound of keyboards now dominates our classrooms, offices and homes. Even childhood mischief has evolved. Some naughty moments with classmates once required writing with the left hand to conceal one’s identity through altered handwriting. Today, anonymity is achieved with a keyboard.
The flow of thought from the mind often finds a deeper personal expression through handwriting than through typing. When a handwritten document contains an error, it is described simply as a “mistake” and the writer is usually expected to explain it because human actions carry personal responsibility and consequences. However, a typed document contains an error, it is frequently dismissed as a “typographical error” often attracting little or no consequence.
Handwriting is infused with human emotion. It creates a stronger emotional connection with the reader and places the recipient in a state of empathy. Typing, though efficient, attractive and convenient, often lacks that deeply personal touch.
The increasing reliance on keyboards and digital devices has diminished the significance of handwriting. As people write less by hand, they risk losing distinctive form of personal expression and identification. Technology should improve our lives, but it should not completely erase a practice that has long served as a maker of human identity and shaped generations.
Handwriting leaves behind a trace of the individual in a way that typed words rarely do. Technology has undoubtedly made life easier, but we must not allow convenience to rob us of the uniqueness that handwriting represents.
Handwriting is more than ink on paper, it is a part of who we are. Originality should not be sacrificed on the altar of technology.
NB: Esther Pius Ekong, a legal practitioner, can be reached via, idangbenedicta@gmail.com