TAF Africa CEO Jake Epelle, Organizational Expert John Etim Edet, and Host Jennifer Ogor, discuss, on Radio Nigeria, the challenges that come with bad leadership and how it affects Nigerians with Disabilities.
Watch the full session below!
DISABILITY INCLUSION RADIO SHOW: TAF AFRICA CEO, JAKE EPELLE, AND ORGANIZATION EXPERT, JOHN ETIM EDET, DISCUSS THE IMPACT OF POOR GOVERNANCE ON MILLIONS OF NIGERIANS WITH DISABILITIES
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DISABILITY INCLUSION RADIO SHOW: Advancing Inclusive Democracy: EU-Nigeria Partnerships for Women, Youth & Persons with Disabilities
L-R: Yiaga Africa Senior Programs Officer, Yetunde Bakare, Disability Inclusion Radio Show Host, Jennifer Ogor, NWTF Project Lead, Vanessa Gregory, and TAF Africa CEO and Founder, Jake Epelle On today’s show, TAF Africa CEO Jake Epelle, Nigeria Women’s Trust Fund Project Lead, Vanessa Gregory, and Senior Programs Officer at Yiaga Africa, Yetunde Bakare, joined Host, Jennifer Ogor, to discuss, on Radio Nigeria, Advancing Inclusive Democracy: EU-Nigeria Partnerships for Women, Youth & Persons with Disabilities in celebration of the EU Day and its efforts in advancing inclusion impact in Nigeria. Watch the full session below!
TAF AFRICA ORGANIZES A THREE-DAY STAFF WORKSHOP ON EFFECTIVE DELIVERY AND TRACKING OF KPIs IN 2ND QUARTER 2025
At the beginning of Q2 2025 (April) TAF Africa recently organized a three-day staff workshop aimed at strengthening Effective Delivery and Tracking of Key Performance Indicators. The workshop provided an opportunity for strategic reflection, leadership development, and program planning to drive impactful change in 2025. A key highlight of the retreat was the KPI Planning Development session, which focused on developing even better and more precise thinking about organizational KPIs. The departments and teams developed detailed SWOT analyses that drove the feedback on building KPIs and updating the KPIs developed at the January 2025 Retreat. These sessions allowed for a comprehensive assessment of past efforts and helped align strategies for greater efficiency and effectiveness. With a focus on improving mental health for greater productivity, the retreat also included a deep dive with a Mental Health Workshop – which discussed strategic ways for the team to manage personal and individual stress and ensured that the TAF Africa team is increasingly able to effectively manage the workload on the road to delivering on TAF Africa’s mission to our shared constituents. This session was facilitated by Doris Epelle, Counsellor & Lead Consultant, Dunech Counselling & Consulting Services. Her expertise and guidance in personal mental health helped the team to understand the value of managing the work and enriched discussions. A key moment of the retreat was the presentations by our guest speakers – Engr Dr Chuks Okpaku, Azure Business Group Lead for Microsoft Africa, Emmanuel Odah, Social Media Expert, and Mr John Etim, a Business Development. Dr Chuks spoke to the value of modern technology and Microsoft technology in getting things done, Emmanuel Odah took the team to task on using Visibility to drive TAF’s storytelling and how that can drive and enrich the work of telling crucial stories. Mr John Etim spoke on the opportunities for Resource Mobilization in TAF and how to leverage these opportunities in view of reaching newer heights for the organization and more specifically for the PWD community. As the retreat concluded, the team took on the feedback from the facilitator consultants, upgraded current plans, exchanged innovative ideas, and realigned their collective vision for the year ahead.
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
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