Request for Proposal (RFP) for an Organization to Support a State Government in the Implementation of the High-Level Observatory on Custodial Services in Nigeria & Support Establishment at Benjamin Grey Consults

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Applications are invited for:

Title: Request for Proposal (RFP) for an Organization to Support a State Government in the Implementation of the High-Level Observatory on Custodial Services in Nigeria & Support Establishment

Location: Abuja (FCT)

Description

• The Joint United Nations Team on HIV in partnership with a Government Agency through funding from the Global Fund on AIDS, TB and Malaria intends to assess barriers and facilitators of human rights violations in Nigeria especially for persons in confined spaces. 
• The intersection of human rights, HIV/AIDS, and persons in confined spaces (such as prisons, detention centers, and rehabilitation facilities) presents significant legal, health, and social justice concerns.
• People in confined spaces are disproportionately affected by HIV due to overcrowding, lack of access to healthcare, and limited harm reduction services. Additionally, stigma, discrimination, and human rights violations exacerbate their vulnerability. 
• Despite Nigeria's legal frameworks and international commitments to human rights and public health, challenges persist in ensuring justice and equitable access to health services for persons in detention.
• It is thus imperative that high level key justice actors are engaged to discuss policy and legal strategies to address these pressing issues.
• Persons in confined spaces—including prisoners, detainees, and individuals in custodial settings—are among the most vulnerable populations, facing significant human rights challenges, including access to healthcare, justice, and fair treatment. 
• Many of these individuals are at an increased risk of HIV/AIDS due to systemic factors such as poor detention conditions, inadequate healthcare services, and stigmatization.
• Justice actors, including law enforcement officials, judiciary members, legal practitioners, correctional facility administrators, and human rights advocates, play a crucial role in ensuring the rights of persons in confined spaces are upheld. 
• This high-level observatory seeks to address gaps in human rights protection, discuss arrest and detention protocols, and strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration to improve health, legal and justice outcomes for persons in confined spaces particularly in the context of the human rights of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

Objectives

• Enhance Human Rights Protections: Foster a deeper understanding of human rights standards and legal protections for persons in confined spaces, emphasizing the intersection of human rights and public health.
• Improve Access to Justice and Legal Remedies: Examine challenges in access to justice for persons in confined spaces, including legal representation, fair trial standards, and the protection of vulnerable populations.
• Address HIV/AIDS in Confined Spaces: Discuss barriers to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care in detention facilities and explore rights-based approaches to addressing these challenges.
• Address Stigma and Discrimination: Develop actionable recommendations to combat stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV/AIDS in the justice system.
• Strengthen Arrest and Detention Protocols: discuss and provide inputs to the existing arrest and detention policies and practices to ensure compliance with human rights standards, particularly in the treatment of vulnerable populations.
• Foster Multi-Sectoral Collaboration: Foster dialogue between justice actors, health professionals, civil society organizations, and policymakers —to develop strategic actions for improving conditions in confined places and also enhance coordination and resource mobilization.
• Strengthen Legal and Policy Frameworks: Identify gaps in legal and institutional mechanisms affecting persons in confined spaces, particularly regarding HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care.
• Strengthen Monitoring and Accountability: Review mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of human rights and health interventions in detention centers.

Key Deliverables

• Establishing an emergency response mechanism for violations
• Support development of SOP for the emergency response mechanism
• Finalization of Study Protocol for high level observatory
• Conduct situation analysis of harassment and arrest to inform programme action.
• Support mobilization of Administration of Criminal Justice Committee (ACJMC)
• Oversee the development of a study report.
• Coordinate validation meeting on the study
• Coordinate final dissemination meeting with stakeholders.
• Review of Legal Environment for Human Rights and support for the domestication of the Anti-Stigma Act in States
• Domestication of critical human rights legislation in 36+1 states
• Provide TA to develop modules/Training of trainers.
• Support for the situation Room

Eligibility Criteria

• Organization must be registered in Nigeria.
• Evidence of Tax clearance certificate for 2023/2024
• Must have worked with relevant UN agency or any multilateral organization in past 5 years.
• Must have worked with federal or state government ministry, department or agency in past 5 years.
• Given the sensitivity of data to be collected and managed, organization/staff must have a license for “Data Controller/Processor of Major Importance” issued by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission
• Demonstrable experience of over 7 years in HIV research and evaluation
• Demonstrable experience of over 7 years in HIV programming for vulnerable populations in Nigeria
• Evidence of obtaining ethical approval from relevant federal or state institutional review board in past 2 years
• Evidence of scientific publications on HIV among vulnerable populations in Nigeria
• Evidence of scientific publications in stigma and discrimination in Nigeria
• Capacity to operate across multiple states in Nigeria.

Application Closing Date
12th May, 2025.

IfHow to Apply
Interested and qualified organizations should send their submissions in a single PDF document to: emerge.respond@gmail.com using the Title as the subject of the email.

Note: Late submissions will not be accepted.