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TAF AFRICA TRAINS IDP CAMP COORDINATORS ON THE 2022 REGULATIONS AND FRAMEWORK FOR VOTING BY INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS

With support from the European Union through its Support for Democratic Governance in Nigeria programme, TAF Africa organized a one-day training for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp coordinators on the 2022 regulations and framework for voting by internally displaced persons, to enhance their participation in the electoral process.

The National Commissioner and Chairman, of the Outreach and Partnership Committee, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Kunle Ajayi, represented by a member of the committee, Dorathy Bello noted that in September 2022, INEC reviewed the electoral framework for voters in IDP camps due to the passage of the 2022 Electoral Act and the introduction of new technologies.

On behalf of the commission, she called for the establishment of voter registration centers in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and host communities. According to her, the establishment of voter registration centers in IDP camps would allow IDPs to exercise their right to vote without undue burdens. He noted that IDPs often face immense hardships and multiple challenges and that creating an inclusive and enabling environment for them to participate in the democratic process is essential. She added that INEC, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, can mobilize resources and expertise to ensure that IDPs are adequately represented and that their interests are safeguarded in the political sphere.

In her words, “As a starting point, we advocate the establishment of accessible and well-organized voter registration centers in the IDP camps and host communities. This will allow the IDPs to easily register as voters and exercise their right to vote without undue burdens. Additionally, as an inclusive Commission, implementation of voter education programs tailored to the specific needs of IDPs, aiming to inform them about their rights, the electoral process, and the significance of their participation is very crucial.”

In his welcome address, the Chief Executive Officer and Founder, of TAF Africa, Amb. Jake Epelle said that lack of awareness around INEC policies on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) necessitated the training of IDP camp coordinators in selected states.

According to Amb. Epelle, Internally Displaced Persons are often marginalized, and INEC has a lot of policies and frameworks that can help them participate in the electoral process. He added that training of IDP camp coordinators is a positive step towards ensuring that IDPs have the opportunity to participate in Nigeria’s democratic process.

In his words, “INEC has a lot of policies and frameworks that many people are not even aware of. One of such policy is that of the electoral framework for voters in IDP camps. This is our first step of enlightening not only the coordinators but the public about the role of INEC, and IDPs in the electoral process”.

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A Journey Of Rights and Disability Inclusion

A Journey Of Rights and Disability Inclusion Since the end of the Second World War, the global community has been undergoing a period of profound societal change. Civil Rights movements have shaken the foundations of the global order, standing at the heart of social transformation and progressive change for the better part of the last two centuries.This story can be traced, in various ways, to pivotal moments across our historical past. No area of human civilisation has been immune to debates and movements about the rights of individuals and the responsibility of the state, or supreme power, to the citizens who are governed by it.Across age, class, sex, faith, sexuality, and disability, individuals have advocated and fought for the gradual reshaping of their societies into the world we live in today – one aspiring toward a concrete vision of individual liberty, equality before the law, incorruptible justice, and shared prosperity. Yet, the journey has not always been smooth. We may view the past in entirely barbaric terms, and in many ways, we would be right. Still, history shows us that resistance to oppression has always existed. For the simple yet radical idea of human equality, battles were fought, won and lost; wars were waged, and countless lives were sacrificed.As far back as 1100 BCE, records from ancient Egypt suggest the occurrence of organised workers’ strikes. In 287 BCE, in ancient Rome, the dictator (no relation to modern-day dictators, please) Quintus Hortensius, passed the Lex Hortensia, a law which theoretically secured political equality between the ruling Patrician class and the free Plebeian citizens by making all resolutions from the Plebeian Council binding on all Roman citizens. Centuries earlier, Persia, under the infamous Cyrus the Great, issued the Cyrus Cylinder, a declaration often regarded as one of the earliest endorsements of religious freedom. Progress, however, has rarely been swift. It was not until the 1960s – during the height of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement – that disability inclusion began to emerge as a distinct movement with its own pure identity, advocating for a community whose experiences cut across age, class, gender, and culture. Prior to this, early steps toward social protection existed in the US, most notably the Social Security Act of the 1930s, signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first U.S. president with a physical disability.Between the 60s and the 90s, Civil Rights took multiple leaps forward around the globe. Across Africa, people reclaimed self-governance after a century of colonial rule. These transformations were marked by deep struggle, highlighted by the deeply divisive racial conflict in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa. In Nigeria and throughout the continent, citizens grappled with the profound responsibilities and challenges of independence, democratic self-determination, and governance.Alongside these transformations, other social changes gained momentum worldwide. As gender (sex) rights, religious liberty, and freedom of expression raced forward, the world made enormous progress in the integration of persons with disabilities (PWDs). By the late 90s, the US, Canada, India, and the UK had enacted laws prohibiting discrimination based on disability.The newly formed United Nations played a central role in shaping global disability advocacy with the 1975 UN Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons. This milestone set the stage for later international frameworks, most notably the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2007, which emphasised not only fundamental rights like the right to accessibility and the right to life, but also focused on the socio-economic foundations that make political rights meaningful.Today, over 100 countries on Earth have enacted and implemented some form of legislation on disability inclusion. Still, the journey continues.Nationwide implementation of accessibility standards, increased participation of persons with disabilities in the workforce, politics, policymaking, and governance, inclusive education systems where children with disabilities and without disabilities learn together safely, and a societal culture that embraces rather than marginalises disability – these, and many others, are the markers of progress that remain ahead of us.On this journey toward true disability inclusion, we at TAF Africa, our donors and partners, and team, are committed to walking every step of the way.

TAF Africa Donates 45 Assistive Devices to Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Delta State

TAF Africa Donates 45 Assistive Devices To Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Delta State https://youtu.be/e6x2D3BTkAs?si=XkkbjX34ICdRB2hc TAF Africa, in its efforts toward progress on inclusivity, has donated forty five assistive devices to Persons With Disabilities in Delta State.  This initiative is aimed at improving access to mobility for beneficiaries across the state. “For us, we are looking at promoting the rights of persons with disabilities”, says Dr. Andrew Adaji, Project Coordinator of the D-RAPID Project in Delta State, “One of their rights is access to mobility. So we’re using this to support them”. The Nigerian Police Force was on ground to remind everyone that their doors are open, specifically through the Disability Desks that have been setup across the country. Better access + Better Protection = A Better Nigeria.  Stakeholders, like the Delta Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), express gratitude for the timely intervention and noted that the devices will significantly ease their daily movement and enhance their participation in social and economic activities. CEO/Founder of TAF Africa, Ambassador Jake Epelle, remarked, “What we have done here to do was to move or shift from mere conversation to concrete tangible commitment that we envisage will produce expected outcomes”. CEO/Founder of TAF Africa, Ambassador Jake Epelle, remarked, “What we have done here to do was to move or shift from mere conversation to concrete tangible commitment that we envisage will produce expected outcomes”. Wheelchairs and Prosthetics were distributed to Forty Five Recipients.  Moving Forward, more work needs to be done, more people need to be reached, the net needs to widened, and we need more inclusive reportage. You can support TAF Africa’s work through donations on our website, volunteering, and sharing our work to your network. 🔗 Support TAF Africa.

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