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ADVANCING GOVERNANCE THROUGH THE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

As the call for disability inclusion grows for a more democratic and progressive government, development experts and disability inclusion advocates have explained why people with disabilities (PWDs) must be empowered to participate actively in Nigeria's political, electoral, and economic landscapes. These explanations were made during the Able to Serve Live television Town Hall Meeting titled, “Advancing governance through the political participation of persons with disabilities”, organized by TAF Africa with funding support from the Macarthur Foundation.   In their separate submissions, the development experts and disability inclusion advocates, who are reputable for their advocacies for good governance and inclusivity in the participation of minority groups in the society, argued that the government must make deliberate efforts to adhere to Nigeria's Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act of 2018, which criminalizes discrimination against persons with disabilities. Speaking on the panel, Samson Itodo, the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa addressed the need for society to come to the reality of accepting persons with disabilities as parts of the social structure who should be supported and empowered to participate in relevant sectors in the society, particularly in the electoral and political sphere. He further downplayed the charity approach the government uses to engage persons with disabilities by making donations as empowerment instead of feasible empowerment such as inclusion in the budgetary allocations and recruitment into the government employment scheme.   In his words, “Do Nigerian voters believe in the Capacity of persons with disabilities to lead? The Able2Serve campaign is not just for the political class but for the public as well. The government must create grounds and accessibility for the recruitment of persons with disabilities into its institutions. They must check the appropriation bill to see how much is budgeted for Persons with Disabilities. There must also be an evaluation with a level of accountability. Distributing wheelchairs to persons with disabilities is not an empowerment program; they need economic empowerment.” Speaking on the need to provide more grounds for the persons with disabilities, Ene Obi, Development Expert and Former Country Director of Action Aid Nigeria explained that disability issues are not peculiar to some groups of people, but what the populace must pay more attention to which will in turn force the government into paying more attention to the needs of persons with disabilities.   She stated that even though different organizations are advocating for inclusion in the country, and there are results to show for the efforts, there are still many gaps to be filled by the government. She insisted that collective effort must be put into effect to achieve tenable results in governance. She further urged the concerned stakeholders to continue to advocate for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in governance.   In her contribution, Vaneza Udegbe-Gregory, programme lead of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, urged the stakeholders to set realistic milestones when discussing accessibility for persons with disabilities and give progress reports. She also called for accountability from policymakers and people who are placed in positions of leadership in their engagement with persons with disabilities and other minority groups. Dwelling on strategies for inclusive governance, Lois Auta, the founder of Cedar Seed Foundation, pointed out infrastructural and medical barriers to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in sensitive positions in governance. She stated that, despite the existence of Nigerian and international laws mandating disability inclusion in the social structure of society, Nigeria takes a charity approach to dealing with people with disabilities, resulting in a lack of investment in minority groups.   She therefore urged the government to move from a charity style to a human rights style, which will extend to their participation in government. She also charged the persons with disabilities to continue to amplify their voices until they are heard in the country. In his intervention, Dr Chike Okogwu, Founder of the Centre for Ability Rehabilitation and Empowerment in Nigeria (CARE) urged President Bola Tinubu to appoint the required 5% of persons with disabilities to various portfolios to eradicate stereotypical tendencies in society. He also urged the state governors and the local government chairpersons to take a similar route. He also encouraged the community of persons with disabilities across the country to venture into politics, stating that they have the right and capacity to serve in the public and private sectors of the government.   In his words, "If President Tinubu appointed 5% of the PWDs to his government, and the state governors and local governments did the same, many PWDs would be more empowered, and the discrimination we face would be reduced." For instance, the transportation system in the country is not PWD friendly, and both land transport and aviation do not support PWDs in the country: Imagine if the minister of transportation or aviation were a person with disability, that would have been corrected.” Barrister Rex Erameh, the FCT Chairman of the Albinism Association of Nigeria urged the government to comply with the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act. He also encouraged the PWDs to remain resilient and disregard the impediments of participation in governance.

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CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: ToR for Engagement of a Technical Expert for the Review and Operationalisation of the INEC Framework on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the Electoral Process

TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR) Engagement of a Technical Expert for the Review and Operationalisation of the INEC Framework on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in the Electoral Process ABOUT TAF AFRICA TAF Africa is an independent non-governmental organization registered in Nigeria in 2006/2007, originally established as The Albino Foundation. It has since evolved from a focus on persons with albinism to a broader disability inclusion mandate. TAF Africa advocates for the rights, dignity, and full inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and other vulnerable groups, working across Nigeria to eliminate discrimination, stigma, and barriers to participation in social, political, and economic life.  TAF Africa envisions an inclusive society that empowers PWDs to actively participate in all spheres of development. Its mission is to collaborate with state and non-state actors to advance rights and dignity through policy and legislative reforms, education, and empowerment initiatives. The organization’s work spans advocacy and public awareness, capacity building, accessibility audits, and strategic partnerships with public and private institutions. Guided by values of transparency, equity, accountability, mutual respect, professionalism, integrity, and collaboration, TAF Africa focuses on inclusive education, political participation and electoral reforms, economic empowerment, access to justice, and inclusive healthcare. You can learn more about TAF Africa at https://tafafrica.co/    PROJECT CONTEXT This assignment is situated within the European Union-funded programme – EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II), Component 5b, which focuses on enhancing the political participation of PWDs and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).  This assignment is designed to strengthen the political participation of PWDs in the electoral process by facilitating direct engagement with election management bodies, political parties, and civil society organizations. The intervention will create an inclusive political environment, inspire institutional commitments, influence policy reforms, and expand both the pool and capacity of PWDs aspiring for and occupying elective positions. INEC FRAMEWORK CONTEXT The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) developed the Framework on Access and Participation of PWDs in the Electoral Process in 2018 to address systemic barriers to inclusion within Nigeria’s electoral system. The Framework promotes the equal participation of PWDs as voters, candidates, and electoral officials, and is grounded in national laws as well as international instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It outlines clear strategic objectives, actions, and an accompanying Operational Plan designed to guide implementation and institutionalise inclusive electoral practices.  Despite its strong foundation, implementation of the Framework has been limited and even outdated, necessitating a comprehensive review and update. In particular, the Framework requires alignment with the Electoral Act 2026, integration of emerging best practices in disability inclusion, and a more comprehensive operationalisation strategy. Strengthening these elements is critical to ensuring that the Framework effectively supports inclusive participation and delivers meaningful impact ahead of the 2027 General Elections.  PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT The overall purpose of this consultancy is to review, update, and support the INEC in operationalising its Framework on Access and Participation of PWDs, ensuring that it is aligned with current legal and policy frameworks, practically implementable, inclusive, and responsive to stakeholder needs, and supported by a clear, actionable, and results-oriented implementation plan.  Objectives of the Assignment The objective of the assignment includes to:  Review the existing INEC PWD Framework (2018) and its Operational Plan   Align the Framework with current legal and policy instruments, especially the Electoral Act 2026 and the National Disability Act 2018.    Integrate emerging best practices in disability-inclusive electoral processes   Facilitate stakeholder validation and ownership of the revised Framework   Strengthen INEC’s institutional capacity for implementation   Develop a comprehensive results-oriented implementation plan   SCOPE OF WORK The Technical Expert will undertake the following tasks:  Desk Review and Analysis Conduct a comprehensive review of the current INEC Framework and Operational Plan to assess structure, objectives, and implementation effectiveness. Identify and analyse implementation gaps and assess the continued relevance of existing strategies and provisions.   Examine applicable legal frameworks, policies, and international electoral standards to determine alignment and compliance.   Benchmark global best practices on inclusive electoral processes and extract applicable lessons for contextual adaptation.  Stakeholder Consultations  Engage key stakeholders, including:   Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD)   Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs)   INEC departments (especially Gender and Inclusivity Unit)   Civil Society Organizations and development partners   Document inputs and recommendations   Framework Review and Revision  The expert will be expected to update the Framework to reflect current legal provisions, address identified gaps, and strengthen strategic objectives and actions, while improving clarity, coherence, and usability. Development of Operational/Implementation Plan  Develop a detailed implementation plan that clearly outlines strategic actions with specific timelines for execution.   Define and assign roles and responsibilities across all relevant INEC structures to ensure accountability and coordination.   Establish a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework to track progress, measure outcomes, and inform decision-making.   Identify potential risks and put in place practical mitigation strategies to reduce their likelihood and impact.   Prepare the required resources estimate to support successful implementation.  Validation Workshop  Facilitate a multi-stakeholder validation session to review and agree on the framework.   Present the revised framework and implementation plan to stakeholders for consideration.   Incorporate received feedback and finalize all documents for approval and use.  Capacity Building  Design and deliver a one-day capacity-enrichment session for National INEC Disability Desk Officers.   Develop comprehensive training materials and practical tools to support the session and ongoing implementation.   Design and deliver a one-day capacity-enrichment session for INEC Disability Desk Officers on the implementation of the disability inclusion framework, applying inclusive electoral practices, and strengthening monitoring and reporting systems.  KEY DELIVERABLES The assignment is expected to be conducted over a period of 8 weeks, with the expected deliverables:    S/N  Deliverables   Timeline   1  Inception Report (methodology, work plan, timeline)   1 week  2  Reviewed INEC Framework on PWD Access and Participation   3 weeks   3  Comprehensive Implementation/Operational Plan   1 week   4  Stakeholder Consultation Report & Validation Workshop Report   1 week  5  Capacity Building Materials and Report   1 week  6  Final Consolidated Report   1 week   Reporting and Coordination  The Technical Expert will report to the TAF Africa representative, work closely with INEC’s Gender and Inclusivity Department, and coordinate with relevant stakeholders throughout the assignment to ensure effective implementation and alignment of activities. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE  The Technical Expert should possess an advanced degree in Law, Political Science, Public Policy, Development Studies, or a related field, along with a strong academic and professional grounding relevant to governance and institutional reform.  The role requires at least 10 years of relevant experience in electoral processes and governance, disability inclusion and human rights, as well as policy

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