COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE ONE-DAY ON STAKEHOLDER’S STRATEGIC ROUNDTABLE ON THE ABLE TO SERVE CAMPAIGN

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE ONE-DAY ON STAKEHOLDER’S STRATEGIC ROUNDTABLE ON THE ABLE TO SERVE CAMPAIGN ORGANISED BY TAF AFRICA WITH SUPPORT FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION, HELD AT THE ABUJA CONTINENTAL HOTEL (FORMERLY SHERATON HOTEL) ABUJA ON THURSDAY, THE 18^THDAY OF MAY 2023 TAF Africa is pleased to share the communique of the roundtable discussion held on May 18^th, 2023, focusing on the crucial topic of "Disability Inclusion in the Appointment of Cabinet Members: A Call for Inclusive Government." This event brought together key stakeholders, including government officials, disability rights advocates, representatives from disability organizations, and experts in the field, to engage in a meaningful dialogue regarding the promotion and advancement of Disability inclusive appointments at the national and subnational cabinets of the incoming government. This statement serves to provide important updates, decisions, and key information regarding the roundtable. The following Organizations were present at the roundtable:

National Democratic Institute (NDI)
Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD)
National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD)
Organization of Persons with disabilities (OPDs)
National Association of the Blind (NAB)
Albinism Association of Nigeria (AAN)
Nigerian National Association of the Deaf (NNAD)
The Center for ability rehabilitation and Empowerment (CARE) in Nigeria
Inclusive Friends Association (IFA)
Amputee Coalition of Nigeria (ACON)

The roundtable aimed to accomplish the following objectives:

Raise awareness: The discussion sought to intensify public awareness of the need for PWD inclusion in government appointive positions. It emphasized the benefits of diverse representation, the impact of inclusive policies, and the need to dismantle barriers that hinder the participation of persons with disabilities in government.
Identify challenges: Participants engaged in a comprehensive analysis of the challenges faced by persons with disabilities when seeking government positions. These challenges encompassed attitudinal barriers, physical accessibility limitations, discriminatory appointment practices, and limited opportunities for career advancement.
Share best practices: The roundtable provided a platform for sharing successful strategies and best practices in promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities in government positions. Participants had the opportunity to showcase initiatives that have yielded positive outcomes in terms of accessibility, recruitment, appointment, retention, and advancement of Persons with disabilities.
Policy formulation: Recognizing the need for effective policies, the roundtable focused on developing recommendations for governments at all levels to enhance disability inclusion. Participants discussed policy measures that could be implemented to ensure equal opportunities for PWDs, and inclusivity within governmental institutions.

Key outcomes and recommendations from the roundtable discussion include:

That awareness and sensitization should be created to ensure the appointment of Persons with Disabilities in compliance with relevant regulations and standards.
The PWD community should continuously strengthen its advocacy efforts to further promote the rights and inclusion of individuals with disabilities.
Political parties have a significant role to play in facilitating the appointment of individuals with disabilities into government appointive positions.
It is recommended to establish a task force or a dedicated working group to actively influence and advocate the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in appointive positions.
There is a strong demand for ensuring that 10 percent of government appointive positions at the federal, state, and local government levels are allocated to individuals with disabilities. There is a need for a concerted effort to provide widespread education and awareness programs for Persons with Disabilities.
PWDs should be appointed to ministerial, ambassadorial, and heads of parastatal positions to promote inclusion and ensure that policies protecting PWDS are implemented.
All Political parties should mainstream PWD in their constitution to include membership of NWC and NEC and establish disability desks to ensure the inclusion of PWDs in all levels of political activities.
Partnership with the media is paramount in achieving all PWD desired goals.

The roundtable concluded with a commitment from all stakeholders to actively promote disability inclusion in government positions. It was acknowledged that disability inclusion not only aligns with the principles of equality and human rights but also contributes to better governance, more inclusive policies, and improved overall societal well-being. In closing, the participants expressed their gratitude to the organizers for convening the roundtable and acknowledged that this important dialogue would contribute to shaping inclusive policies and practices within government institutions. The communique was signed by: Hajiya Amina Zakari Haruna Muhammad Tsafe, Vice President, NNAD Kenneth Echiche, Nigeria Association of the Blind Chukwunelo Eva, Public Relations Officer Amputee Coalition of Nigeria Chukwunyere Kelsey Nwosu, Comm. Officer, Amputee Coalition of Nigeria Aver Akighir, National Association of Persons with Physical Disabilities (NAPWPD) Sedoo Toryem, Integration, Dignity, Economic Advancement (IDEA Nigeria) Dr. Chris Nwanoro, Lotus Institute for the Blind Amy Onyinyechi Omumere, Legal and Programme Associate, (CISLAC) Maureen Chioma, Chairman, Spinal Cord Injury Association, FCT Chapter Hon. Mohammad Abbah Isah, APC Zonal Leader Hon. Abdullahi Akilu, PDP PWD Leader Lois Auta, Executive Director Cedar Seed Foundation Stephen Idoko, Inclusive Friends Association Christian Agbo, Executive Director, Qualitative Magazine Dr. Chike Okogwu, Former Presidential Candidate of the ADC and Founder of CARE Nigeria Ambassador Jake Epelle, CEO/founder, TAF Africa Olayemi Samuel, Programmes Lead, TAF Africa

Inside the Joint EU Election Hub: How TAF Africa Tracked Ekiti’s Election in Real Time

Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State — 20 June 2026 Long before the polls closed, the story of Ekiti’s governorship election was already being written — not on ballot papers, but on screens. On the morning of 20 June 2026, the Afe Babalola Civic Centre in Ado-Ekiti became the nerve centre of TAF Africa’s election observation operation. Inside, the PWD Election Hub hummed with quiet urgency: coordinators, data analysts, communication officers, and technology support personnel worked side by side, watching a steady stream of real-time reports arrive from observers stationed across 150 polling units throughout the state. A Living Picture of Election Day Each report told a small piece of a much bigger story. Submitted through the TAF Disability Hub Application (available at https://electionhub.org.ng/), observer reports captured critical data points as they happened: polling unit accessibility, the availability of assistive devices, the conduct of election officials, voter turnout among persons with disabilities, incidents of discrimination, and the provision of priority voting services. Rather than waiting until the end of the day to understand what had happened, the Hub allowed TAF Africa to see the election as it unfolded — accessibility gaps, service breakdowns, and moments of good practice surfacing in near real time, not buried in a report written days later. More Than Data Collection — A Command Centre The Hub’s role went beyond gathering numbers. It also served as the coordination centre for the 25 sign language interpreters deployed to 24 polling units across the state, enabling real-time troubleshooting, emergency communication, and swift incident management whenever an interpreter or voter needed support. This dual function — data hub and operations centre — meant that when something went wrong on the ground, it didn’t have to wait to be noticed. It could be flagged, escalated, and addressed while the polls were still open. Capturing the Full Arc of the Day To build a complete, longitudinal picture of the electoral environment, observers were instructed to submit reports at three fixed points: the opening of polls, midday, and the close of polls. This structure allowed the Hub to track not just isolated incidents, but how accessibility and voter experience shifted as the day progressed — from the first ballots cast to the final tally. By the time voting ended, 150 observer reports had been received, processed, and entered into the observation database — a complete dataset spanning every deployed polling unit in the exercise. Turning Real-Time Data into Lasting Insight The PWD Election Hub is more than a control room for a single election day. It is a demonstration of what disability-inclusive election observation can look like when technology, coordination, and clear protocols work together: a system built not just to watch an election happen, but to make sure the experiences of persons with disabilities are documented, understood, and acted on — as they happen, not after the fact. As TAF Africa continues to refine this model, the Hub stands as a template for how future elections across Nigeria can be observed with greater speed, accuracy, and accountability. This operation was carried out by TAF Africa under efforts to strengthen inclusive, credible, and evidence-based election observation in Nigeria.

Breaking the Hearing Impairment Barrier: 25 Sign Language Interpreters Deployed to Support Deaf Voters in Ekiti

Ekiti State — June 2026 Governorship Election For deaf voters, an election is often a silent struggle before it is a civic right. Instructions are shouted across polling units. Procedures are explained once, quickly, in words that never reach them. For years, this communication gap has quietly excluded persons with hearing impairments from fully and independently exercising their right to vote. In Ekiti State, that gap narrowed. Building on the success of a similar deployment in Anambra State, TAF Africa trained and deployed 25 Sign Language Interpreters (SLIs) to polling units with a significant presence of deaf voters during the Ekiti State Governorship Election — a deliberate, targeted push to remove communication barriers and make the ballot box accessible to all. Preparing the Interpreters Before deployment, the interpreters took part in a one-day virtual training designed to prepare them for the realities of the election environment. The session covered electoral procedures, voter assistance protocols, ethical considerations, communication standards, and the specific roles and responsibilities of an SLI on election day — ensuring that support at the polling unit would be not just present, but professional, consistent, and rights-respecting. Finding the Voters Who Needed Them Good intentions only translate into impact when they reach the right people in the right places. To make sure they did, TAF Africa partnered with the Association of Sign Language Interpreters of Nigeria (ASLIN) and the Ekiti State Association of the Deaf to identify exactly where deaf voters were registered to vote. By cross-referencing INEC data with the deaf association’s own database, the team mapped registered deaf voters to specific polling units across selected Local Government Areas — turning a broad commitment to inclusion into a precise, data-driven deployment plan. On the Ground, on Election Day The 25 trained interpreters were deployed to polling units across six LGAs: Ado Ekiti, Ekiti West, Ikere, Ido/Osi, Ijero, and Oye. Of the 25 deployed, 23 successfully supported their assigned deaf voters and submitted deployment reports — a strong completion rate that speaks to both the quality of preparation and the commitment of the interpreters themselves. Their presence meant that electoral information, voting procedures, and voter education messages reached deaf voters clearly and directly — not filtered through guesswork or a well-meaning stranger’s improvised gestures, but communicated by trained professionals who understood both the language and the stakes. The Numbers Behind the Impact In total, 103 deaf voters received interpretation support across 24 polling units in the six participating LGAs. S/N LGA Polling Units SLIs Deployed Deaf Voters Reached 1 Ado Ekiti 15 14 47 2 Ekiti West 1 1 1 3 Ikere 2 2 5 4 Ido/Osi 1 1 2 5 Ijero 2 2 44 6 Oye 3 3 4 Total 24 23 103 Deaf voters reached with SLI support by LGA during the Ekiti State Governorship Election, 20 June 2026. A Precedent Worth Repeating Feedback from beneficiaries and stakeholders was consistent: the presence of trained sign language interpreters made a real difference in how deaf voters experienced the election — not as passive recipients of assistance, but as informed, independent participants in the democratic process. More than a single election-day intervention, the initiative sets an important precedent. It shows that with the right partnerships, the right data, and the right training, electoral inclusion for persons with hearing impairments is not an aspiration — it is achievable, replicable, and measurable. As TAF Africa continues to champion inclusive democratic participation, this deployment stands as evidence of what’s possible when accessibility is designed into the electoral process from the start, rather than added as an afterthought.

TAF Africa Trains 150 Election Observers Ahead of Ekiti Governorship Election

Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State — 17–18 June 2026 As dawn broke over Ekiti State, a diverse group of citizens began arriving at the training venue with a shared sense of purpose. Teachers, community advocates, youth leaders, disability rights champions, and civic-minded volunteers gathered for one reason: to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process. Within days, they would be deployed across polling units as election observers — the eyes and ears of democracy — tasked with documenting not only what happened on election day, but also whether every eligible voter, including persons with disabilities, was given an equal opportunity to participate. Recognizing that effective observation takes more than goodwill, TAF Africa convened a two-day training designed to turn this group into informed, objective, and technologically equipped monitors. By the end, they left not merely as observers, but as ambassadors of democratic inclusion. A Cornerstone of Inclusive Election Observation The training in Ekiti State served as a cornerstone of TAF Africa’s election observation strategy under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Programme. Its focus: strengthening inclusive, credible, and evidence-based election observation ahead of the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election. The programme equipped participants with the knowledge, practical skills, and technological tools required for effective monitoring — with a deliberate emphasis on accessibility, inclusion, and the protection of voting rights for marginalized groups, particularly persons with disabilities (PWDs). While the original plan was to train 150 observers across two batches of 75, turnout told its own story of commitment: 48 observers attended on the first day and 102 on the second. In total, the training reached all 150 registered observers, building a strong network of prepared, informed monitors ready to support a transparent and inclusive electoral process. Setting the Tone The training opened with registration, prayers, and the national anthem, followed by a welcome session led by George Anwayi, Assistant Programme Manager of TAF Africa. He introduced participants to the workshop’s objectives and underscored the significance of their role in promoting electoral accountability and inclusion — stressing professionalism, neutrality, and integrity throughout. Participants also shared their own backgrounds and prior experience in election observation and civic engagement, helping build the collaborative learning environment that carried through the technical sessions to come. Putting Inclusion at the Center A key session, facilitated by Dr. Andrew Adaji, Programme Manager of TAF Africa, gave participants an overview of TAF Africa’s Election Inclusion Strategy under the EU-SDGN Programme. The session unpacked the barriers voters with disabilities routinely face and the interventions TAF Africa has implemented to improve accessibility, voter education, and participation. Participants were introduced to the disability-inclusive indicators that would guide their observation activities on election day — a reminder that credible election monitoring means paying close attention to accessibility measures at polling units and to the lived experiences of marginalized groups. Standards of Conduct and Staying Safe Another core component covered the role of election observers and the standards expected of them: impartiality, objectivity, confidentiality, and professionalism. Facilitators also addressed security awareness and personal safety, guiding observers on how to manage risk, avoid confrontation, and maintain clear communication with relevant authorities on election day. Scenario-based discussions helped participants understand both their responsibilities and the limits of their role as accredited observers. Technology in the Field: The TAF Disability Hub Application Facilitated by Kohol Iornav, TAF Africa’s Information Technology Officer, this session introduced participants to the TAF Disability Hub Application — a digital platform built to support real-time election observation and reporting. Observers learned to document incidents, upload reports, submit eyewitness accounts, and capture data through the platform. A live demonstration and hands-on practice gave participants confidence in using technology for accurate, timely reporting — a critical capability for the days ahead. Practicing with the Observers’ Checklist Dr. Andrew Adaji also led a practical session on the Election Observers’ Checklist, a key tool for gathering standardized, credible data. The checklist covers indicators such as polling unit accessibility, voter assistance, the conduct of election officials, security presence, availability of election materials, and the participation of persons with disabilities. Participants practiced applying the checklist to simulated election scenarios, learning to record observations objectively and steer clear of subjective interpretation. Learning Through Role-Play To bring the training to life, Jennifer Dafwat, Senior Communication Officer at TAF Africa, led group discussions and role-play exercises simulating common election-day situations — from interacting with election officials and reporting incidents, to observing accessibility challenges and engaging with voters with disabilities. These sessions encouraged teamwork and critical thinking, gave facilitators a chance to clear up misconceptions, and — according to participant feedback — stood out as among the most valuable parts of the entire training. Ready for Election Day The training closed with a reflection session and remarks from Dr. Andrew Adaji, as participants shared key lessons learned and voiced their readiness to take on their observation duties during the governorship election. Facilitators reinforced one central message: objective, timely, and credible reporting is what will strengthen democratic governance and electoral inclusion in Ekiti State. With 160 observers now trained and equipped, TAF Africa’s network stands ready to serve as the eyes and ears of democracy — and to make sure the voices and experiences of persons with disabilities are visible throughout Ekiti State’s electoral process.

EU SDGN Inclusivity Cluster Hosts Media Reflection Meeting With Media Executives, Regulators, and PWD Leadership on Media Inclusivity in Ekiti State

Media executives, regulators, development partners, and leaders in the community of persons with disabilities (PWDs) gathered in Ado-Ekiti on May 26, 2026 for a high-level reflection meeting on media inclusivity, aimed at strengthening inclusive media practices in the lead-up to the Ekiti State 2026 Governorship Election and Beyond. The meeting, convened by the EU SDGN Inclusivity Cluster, a partnership including TAF Africa, Nigerian Women’s Trust Fund (NWTF), International Press Centre (IPC), and Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), created a platform for reviewing progress, identifying gaps, and charting actionable pathways for inclusive media engagement. A central focus of the meeting was the role of the media in ensuring equitable political participation. Through expert presentations and discussions, participants explored how media institutions can better amplify the voices and concerns of marginalised groups, particularly persons with disabilities, in electoral processes. Media Partners, Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO) and International Press Centre (IPC) led key session on Media Inclusivity and Democratic Participation in Electoral Processes while the participants also reviewed findings from the TAF Africa Media Political Inclusion Index Assessment, highlighting critical gaps in representation and accessibility across media platforms.

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE ONE-DAY ON STAKEHOLDER’S STRATEGIC ROUNDTABLE ON THE ABLE TO SERVE CAMPAIGN

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Inside the Joint EU Election Hub: How TAF Africa Tracked Ekiti’s Election in Real Time

Breaking the Hearing Impairment Barrier: 25 Sign Language Interpreters Deployed to Support Deaf Voters in Ekiti

TAF Africa Trains 150 Election Observers Ahead of Ekiti Governorship Election

EU SDGN Inclusivity Cluster Hosts Media Reflection Meeting With Media Executives, Regulators, and PWD Leadership on Media Inclusivity in Ekiti State

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