TAF AFRICA’S ENGAGEMENT AT THE GLOBAL DISABILITY SUMMIT (GDS) 2025 IN BERLIN, GERMANY

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Global Disability Summit (GDS) 2025 convened global leaders, organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), international development stakeholders, private sector actors, and civil society organizations in Amman, Jordan, to advance the global agenda for disability inclusion. TAF Africa, through strategic engagements and thought leadership, significantly contributed to the summit’s core themes of inclusive employment, political participation, social protection, and economic empowerment for persons with disabilities (PWDs). This report provides a detailed overview of key highlights, TAF Africa’s strategic visibility, contributions of the CEO/Founder Amb. Jake Epelle and implications for our organizational programming moving forward.

2. OPENING HIGHLIGHTS AND SUMMIT CONTEXT

Day 1 of the GDS 2025 set the tone for an urgent and sustained global commitment to the rights of persons with disabilities, reaffirming that disability inclusion is non-negotiable.

Key highlights include:

Presentation of Regional Summits: Findings from regional consultations conducted over two years informed the global commitments presented at GDS2025.

Key Global Voices:

His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan highlighted Jordan’s progress in disability inclusion since becoming a co-host and called for stronger global action to protect persons with disabilities, especially in conflict zones.
H.E. Olaf Scholz, Federal Chancellor of Germany, reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to disability inclusion, announcing support for inclusive education and the 15% for 15% target.
Dr. Nawaf Kabbara, President of the International Disability Alliance, emphasized the role of OPDs, urging that they be recognized as decision-makers and that inclusion must be reflected in every plan and budget.
Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, emphasized the urgency of reinvigorating efforts toward the lagging disability targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Opening II saw additional commitments:

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, announced a new initiative that brings together health and disability organizations to enhance collaboration and impact.

Charlotte Young, IDA Youth Ambassador, presented the Youth Call to Action, ensuring that young voices are central to the disability rights movement.

Sanja Tarczay, President of the World Federation of the Deafblind (WFDB), shared key takeaways from the Civil Society Forum (CSF) and presented the Civil Society Declaration.

H.E. Åsmund Grøver Aukrust, Minister of International Development, Norway, reinforced Norway’s legacy as a GDS co-host and announced increased funding for development aid.

Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme), announced a new initiative focused on accessible cities and declared UN-Habitat’s endorsement of the Amman-Berlin Declaration.

Marie Luise Abomo, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, called on African states to ratify the Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

3. TAF AFRICA’S STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENTS

3.1 High-Level Panel Participation: Inclusive Labour Markets and Decent Work

Amb. Jake Epelle, CEO/Founder of TAF Africa, served as a panellist in the session titled “Shaping Inclusive Labour Markets and Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities.”

• The session explored policy implementation challenges under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) within employment systems.

Key panellists included:

Erol Kiresepi, Honorary President at International Organisation of Employers (IOE)
Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation
Caroline Casey, Founder and Director, The Valuable 500

TAF Africa’s Contribution:

Amb. Epelle acknowledged Nigeria’s efforts in building capacity for PWDs through policy and skill development programs.
He advocated for deeper collaboration between government and OPDs to scale inclusive job access.
Emphasis was placed on the enabling role of legal frameworks and innovative partnerships to remove systemic employment barriers.
Persons with disabilities were motivated to stand up for themselves and unite their voices towards self-empowerment and growth.

3.2 Fireside Chat Host: TAF Africa Disability Inclusion Forum

TAF Africa independently hosted a side event titled “TAF Africa Disability Inclusion Forum,” providing a platform to showcase Nigeria’s efforts in mainstreaming disability in political and economic spaces.

Speakers:

Hon. Dr. Yusuf T. Sununu, Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction
Amb. Jake Epelle, CEO/Founder, TAF Africa
Alhaji Zayyanu Umar-Aliero, Kebbi State Commissioner for Special Duties

Key Discussion Points:

Dr. Sununu elaborated on the positive impact of social intervention programs like the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) on poverty reduction within the disability community.

Amb. Epelle highlighted TAF Africa’s innovative programs:

Able to Vote – Promoting PWDs electoral participation through voting
Electability – Enhancing visibility and engagement through political campaigns and vying for elective positions.
Able to Serve – Advocating inclusive governance through political appointments.

The chat emphasized collective responsibility across sectors to drive systemic change.

4. DAY 2: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND GLOBAL REPORT LAUNCH

4.1 Launch of the Global Disability Inclusion Report

The Global Disability Inclusion Report: Accelerating Disability Inclusion in a Changing and Diverse World, developed for the Global Disability Summit 2025, examines these challenges and outlines concrete pathways for change.

The report is the result of a collaborative effort of several UN agencies, the International Disability Alliance, the International Disability and Development Consortium, and their members and academia. It has been funded mostly by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with co-funding from the London Stock Exchange Group and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

The report highlights:

The impact of global trends like climate change, technology, and urbanization
Legal, policy, and financing measures to drive inclusion.
Strategies for inclusive education and humanitarian action, healthcare, employment, and social protection

The report offers a valuable roadmap for our policy engagement and programming in 2025 and beyond.

4.2 Side Event Panel: Companies as Allies for Inclusive Employment

Amb. Jake Epelle again represented TAF Africa as a panellist at this high-impact session that brought together private sector leaders and disability advocates.

Panelists included:

Andy Garrett, Director – GSK Global Workplace Adjustments Service
Jürgen Menze, Disability Inclusion Specialist, International Labour Organization (ILO)
Nadine Schönwald, Inclusion officer, Board UnternehmensForum,
Susan Scott-Parker, Business Disability International (Moderator)

TAF Africa’s Key Contribution:

Amb. Epelle emphasized the importance of education, digital skills, and professional readiness among persons with disabilities to boost their employability.

He presented the Framework for the National Access to Work Scheme, co-developed by TAF Africa and NCPWD with funding from Sightsavers, which supports private employers to employ qualified persons with disabilities by providing technical and material support.

5. STRATEGIC VISIBILITY AND INSTITUTIONAL IMPACT

TAF Africa’s strategic positioning at GDS 2025 achieved the following:

Enhanced Global Visibility: TAF Africa’s voice resonated on critical issues of inclusive governance and employment through speaking engagements and hosting a side event.

Strengthened Partnerships: Our presence created pathways for deeper collaboration with global development agencies, OPDs, and private sector actors like the Christoffel Blinden Mission, Sightsavers International, International Disability and Development Consortium, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, etc.

Inspiration for Action: TAF Africa’s programs, Able to Vote, Electability, Able to serve and the Access to Work Scheme, were used as models of good practice, inspiring replication and adaptation.

TAF Africa Successful Election Observation Mission on Disability Inclusion and the Overall Voting Experience Of Persons With Disabilities at the 2026 Ekiti State Gubernatorial Election

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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.