EOI: Consultancy for Research Assessment on the Impact of Social Protection and Poverty Reduction Programmes in Oyo, Sokoto, Abia, Benue States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Year 1

Background: ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) is implementing the European Union Support for Strengthening Social Protection in Nigeria (ESSPIN) Project, a social protection-focused intervention aimed at strengthening the effectiveness, inclusiveness, accountability, and sustainability of social protection systems across Oyo, Sokoto, Benue and Abia States, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The project contributes to strengthening the coordination and utilization of the National Social Register (NSR) for national planning and poverty reduction efforts in Nigeria.

Despite the existence of several social protection and poverty reduction policies and programmes in Nigeria, implementation outcomes remain uneven due to political, institutional, governance, coordination, and financing constraints.

To address these gaps, ActionAid Nigeria intends to commission a comprehensive research assessment across the project states and FCT to generate up-to-date, citizen-centred evidence on the performance, effectiveness, inclusiveness, and accountability of social protection and poverty reduction programmes.

The assessment seeks to fill critical knowledge gaps that currently constrain evidence-based advocacy, campaign actions, and policy reforms. Findings from the study will inform improvements in programme design, implementation, financing, coordination, and accountability mechanisms at both state and national levels, while promoting more inclusive and effective social protection systems in Nigeria.

Purpose of the Assignment: The purpose of this consultancy is to assess the impact of existing social protection and poverty reduction programmes across Oyo, Sokoto, Benue, Abia States and the FCT and generate evidence-based recommendations to:

• Strengthen advocacy efforts;
• Inform policy reforms;
• Improve programme design and implementation;
• Enhance transparency, accountability and inclusion within social protection systems;
• Strengthen financing and institutional coordination mechanisms.

Objectives of the Assessment: The overall objective of this consultancy is to generate up-to-date, citizen-centred evidence on the impact, effectiveness, inclusiveness, and accountability of existing social protection and poverty reduction programmes across Oyo, Sokoto, Benue and Abia States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Specifically, the assessment aims to:

• Assess the design, targeting mechanisms, and coverage of existing social protection and poverty reduction programmes.
• Evaluate programme effectiveness, efficiency, and equity outcomes.
• Examine financing arrangements and the sustainability of interventions.
• Assess institutional coordination and governance mechanisms.
• Document beneficiary experiences, perceptions, and outcomes.
• Identify critical knowledge gaps, implementation challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
• Generate practical and actionable recommendations to strengthen advocacy and campaign actions.
• Inform evidence-based policy reforms and decision-making processes at state and national levels.
• Improve programme design, implementation, accountability, and inclusiveness within social protection systems.

Scope of Work: The assignment will cover Oyo, Sokoto, Benue and Abia States as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The consultant shall assess:

• Social protection programme design and targeting systems;
• Beneficiary identification and coverage;
• Programme implementation effectiveness and efficiency;
• Financing structures and fiscal sustainability;
• Institutional coordination mechanisms;
• Governance and accountability arrangements;
• Beneficiary experiences and outcomes;
• Existing gaps and opportunities for strengthening social protection systems.

Research Focus Areas: The assessment shall pay particular attention to generating evidence on:

• The extent to which social protection and poverty reduction programmes are reaching intended beneficiaries.
• Equity and inclusion considerations, particularly for women, persons with disabilities, older persons, youth, and other vulnerable populations.
• The effectiveness of targeting and beneficiary identification systems, including the use of the National Social Register (NSR).
• Beneficiary satisfaction and lived experiences with programme implementation.
• Barriers affecting access, participation, and programme effectiveness.
• Institutional, political, and financing factors influencing implementation outcomes.
• Opportunities to strengthen programme delivery, accountability, and sustainability.

Methodology: The consultant shall adopt a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative techniques. The methodology is expected to include:

• Household surveys;
• Beneficiary surveys;
• Community-level assessments.
• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs);
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs);
• Stakeholder consultations;
• Case studies.
• Policy and legislative review;
• Programme implementation documents;
• Budget and expenditure analysis;
• Administrative datasets.

Furthermore, the assessment should apply a Political Economy Analysis lens to understand:

• Power dynamics;
• Institutional incentives;
• Financing arrangements;
• Governance constraints;
• Stakeholder relationships influencing programme performance.

The assessment should be guided by internationally recognized social protection and evaluation frameworks including:

• Nigeria's National Social Protection Policy;
• National Social Register (NSR) Framework;
• OECD-DAC Evaluation Criteria (Relevance, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact, Sustainability and Coherence);
• Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA);
• Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) principles;
• Leave No One Behind (LNOB) principles;
• Sustainable Development Goals (particularly SDGs 1, 2, 5, 8, 10 and 16);
• International Labour Organization (ILO) Social Protection Floors Recommendation No. 202.

Useful references include:

• ActionAid Nigeria Official Website
• ILO Social Protection Floors Recommendation No. 202
• ILO Universal Social Protection Framework

These frameworks provide guidance on universality, adequacy, sustainability, inclusion and rights-based social protection systems. Consultants are encouraged to propose additional analytical frameworks that strengthen the quality and policy relevance of the assessment.

The selected consultant shall refine and present the detailed methodology, sampling design, analytical framework and field strategy within the inception report.

Responsibilities of the Consultant: The Lead Consultant/Consultancy Firm shall:

• Participate in an inception meeting with the ESSPIN Project Team.
• Develop and submit an inception report including methodology and workplan.
• Design all data collection tools.
• Engage relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Civil Society Organisations and community stakeholders.
• Facilitate entry meetings and obtain necessary approvals.
• Recruit and supervise enumerators.
• Train field teams on ethics, safeguarding and quality standards.
• Establish quality assurance mechanisms for data collection and validation.
• Lead data cleaning, management and analysis.
• Produce all agreed deliverables.
• Present findings at state and national dissemination meetings.
• Ensure adherence to ethical and safeguarding standards throughout the assignment.

Responsibilities of Enumerators: Enumerators engaged under this assignment shall:

• Administer surveys using approved digital tools.
• Conduct interviews and facilitate discussions.
• Obtain informed consent from respondents.
• Ensure data quality and completeness.
• Maintain confidentiality of information.
• Submit daily field updates and reports.
• Escalate operational challenges promptly.
• Comply fully with ethical and safeguarding requirements.

Ethical Considerations and Safeguarding: The consultant shall adhere to internationally accepted research ethics and safeguarding standards including:

• Informed consent;
• Confidentiality and anonymity;
• Data privacy and protection;
• Cultural sensitivity;
• Do-no-harm principles;
• Protection of vulnerable and marginalized populations

Expected Deliverables: The assessment will produce four (4) state-level reports and one (1) national synthesis report containing practical and actionable recommendations aimed at:

• Strengthening advocacy and campaign actions on social protection and poverty reduction;
• Supporting evidence-based policy reforms at state and national levels;
• Improving programme design, implementation, and accountability mechanisms;
• Enhancing citizen participation and responsiveness within social protection systems;
• Promoting more inclusive, equitable, and effective social protection programmes in Nigeria.

Utilisation of Findings: Findings from the assessment will be used by ActionAid Nigeria and partners to:

• Strengthen advocacy and influencing strategies on social protection and poverty reduction;
• Support engagement with state and federal policymakers and institutions;
• Inform evidence-based campaign actions and public policy dialogue;
• Improve programme implementation, targeting, and accountability mechanisms;
• Contribute to future reforms and investments in social protection systems in Nigeria.

Duration of Assignment: The consultancy is expected to be completed within 30 working days.

Duty Stations: The assignment will be implemented in:

• Oyo State
• Sokoto State
• Benue State
• Abia State
• Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

Ownership of Outputs: All outputs, reports, databases, tools and supporting materials developed under this consultancy shall remain the sole property of ActionAid Nigeria.

SHEA and Safeguarding Commitment: ActionAid maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (SHEA), including child abuse and abuse of adults at risk.

The consultant shall comply fully with ActionAid safeguarding policies and procedures.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience: Interested consultants or firms must possess:

• Advanced degree in Economics, Development Studies, Public Policy, Social Sciences or related disciplines;
• Minimum of 7–10 years relevant professional experience;
• Demonstrated experience conducting large-scale mixed-methods studies;
• Strong analytical and report writing skills;
• Experience working with government institutions and civil society organisations;
• Experience implementing donor-funded assignments;
• Previous experience with EU-funded projects will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in social protection research, political economy analysis, public policy assessments, or poverty reduction programming in Nigeria will be considered a strong advantage.

Reporting, Communication and Clarification Process: Any technical questions arising during the preparation of proposals in response to this call are encouraged and should be submitted in writing via email to the Governance Specialist, ActionAid Nigeria, Vivian EfemBassey (Vivian.EfemBassey@actionaid.org), with Country Programme Impact Assessment and Shared Learning Manager, Amina Adamu (Amina.Adamu@actionaid.org), ESSPIN Project coordinator Sandra Jonathan (Sandra.Jonathan@actionaid.org) and the ESSPIN MEL Officer, Augustine U. Ocheni (Augustine.Ocheni@actionaid.org) in copy.

Requests for clarification should be submitted sufficiently in advance of the application deadline to allow adequate time for responses to be provided.

Submission of Expression of Interest: Interested consultants or firms are invited to submit:

• Cover Letter;
• Technical Proposal;
• Financial Proposal;
• Company Profile or CV of Lead Consultant;
• Evidence of previous similar assignments;
• Contact details for at least three references.

The following compliance documents submitted with the applications:

• · Company profile
• · CAC registration (CAC 7)
• · Tax clearance certificate
• · Evidence of previous jobs, especially with INGOs
• · Audited accounts (at least 2023)

Applications should be submitted electronically as a single Microsoft Word document to: procurement.nigeria@actionaid.org with Subject:  Name “EOI: Research Assessment on the Impact of Social Protection and Poverty Reduction Programmes in Oyo, Sokoto, Abia, Benue States and FCT (Year 1)”. Submission Deadline: 15th July 2026

Women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Failure to comply with submission instructions may result in disqualification.

Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.