EOI:Consultancy for Development of a Training Curriculum for Traditional Leaders and Custodians of Culture on Women's Political Participation, Voice, and Agency in Nigeria.

Introduction:  

ActionAid Nigeria (AAN), with funding support from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) through the CGIAR Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) Accelerator, is implementing the development of a Training Curriculum for Traditional Leaders and Custodians of Culture in Nigeria. The initiative aims to develop a practical, evidence-based curriculum that will strengthen the capacity of community and traditional leaders to identify and address barriers to women's participation in leadership and decision-making. The curriculum will serve as a resource for promoting women's voice, agency, and leadership within communities, while encouraging more inclusive and equitable governance processes. 

Background:  

Traditional leaders and custodians of culture play a pivotal role in shaping community norms, values, and governance systems across Nigeria. As influential actors in community decision-making processes, they are uniquely positioned to influence attitudes, practices, and opportunities that affect women's participation in leadership and governance. Their authority and standing within communities present a critical opportunity to foster more inclusive decision-making processes and support women to exercise greater voice, agency, and leadership. 

Recognising this potential, developing a Training Curriculum for Traditional Leaders and Custodians of Culture in Nigeria is imperative to advance women’s political participation and amplify their voice and agency. The initiative is grounded in the understanding that traditional institutions can serve as important drivers of positive social change and contribute to addressing persistent gender inequalities that limit women's participation in community governance and leadership.  

By equipping traditional leaders with practical knowledge, tools, and approaches for promoting gender-inclusive leadership, the curriculum aims to strengthen their capacity to champion inclusive community governance and create enabling environments where women can meaningfully exercise their voice, agency, and leadership in both formal and informal community structures. 

 The purpose of this assignment  

The purpose of this assignment is to develop a practical, context-specific, and nationally adaptable training curriculum that will strengthen the capacity of traditional leaders and custodians of culture to promote women’s voice, agency, leadership, and meaningful participation in governance and decision-making processes. The curriculum will equip participants with the knowledge, skills, tools, and strategies required to identify and address social, cultural, and institutional barriers that hinder women’s participation in leadership and community governance. 

The curriculum is expected to strengthen the ability of traditional leaders to champion gender-inclusive governance, foster positive social norms, engage both women and men as allies in advancing gender equality, and create enabling environments that support women’s active participation in formal and informal leadership structures. It will also provide practical approaches for promoting equitable decision-making, enhancing women’s influence in community affairs, and strengthening collective efforts to advance inclusive development outcomes. 

Additionally, the curriculum will serve as a comprehensive capacity-building resource that provides traditional leaders and custodians of culture with participatory learning methodologies, advocacy tools, and action-oriented strategies for driving positive social change. Ultimately, the assignment seeks to contribute to increased women’s political participation, leadership, voice, and agency, while promoting more inclusive, equitable, and accountable governance systems at the community level. 

Objectives:  

The specific objectives are to: 

• Develop a comprehensive training curriculum for traditional leaders and custodians of culture that addresses barriers and opportunities for women's participation and leadership. 
• Integrate evidence-based approaches, comparative experiences, and relevant good practices into the curriculum. 
• Validate the curriculum across different regions of Nigeria, including conflict-affected areas, to ensure cultural relevance and applicability. 
• Incorporate stakeholder feedback to strengthen the quality, credibility, and effectiveness of the curriculum. 
• Produce a finalized curriculum suitable for future piloting, impact evaluation, and public dissemination. 

Scope of Work:  

The consultant/firm will undertake the following tasks: 

•   Participate in inception meetings with the ActionAid Nigeria team and relevant stakeholders. 
• Draft a training curriculum for traditional leaders and custodians of culture addressing the objectives outlined above. 
• Incorporate evidence synthesis, comparative lessons, and examples from similar interventions and international experiences. 
• Engage traditional leaders, women's groups, and other stakeholders during the curriculum development process. 
• Coordinate and facilitate regional vetting and validation exercises across different geopolitical zones, including conflict-affected regions. 
• Document and analyze feedback from validation exercises. 
• Revise and strengthen the curriculum based on stakeholder inputs and technical feedback. 
• Produce a final curriculum that is concise, practical, and appropriate for the time constraints of traditional leaders while remaining comprehensive and conceptually robust. 
• Ensure the curriculum is publication-ready and suitable for future piloting and impact assessment. 
• Methodology:  

The consultant/firm is expected to adopt a participatory and consultative approach that includes: 

• Desk review of relevant literature, policies, frameworks, and existing training resources. 
• Stakeholder consultations with traditional leaders, community representatives, women's organizations, and relevant experts. 
• Integration of evidence-based approaches and comparative lessons from similar initiatives. 

Key Deliverables:  

The consultant/firm is expected to deliver: 

• Inception Plan outlining the methodology, timeline, stakeholder engagement strategy, and curriculum development process. 
• Proposed Curriculum Outline detailing the structure and content areas of the training programme. 
• Version 1.0 Training Curriculum for traditional leaders and custodians of culture for use during the validation process. 
• Documentation of regional vetting and validation exercises, including key findings and recommendations. 
• Version 2.0 Revised Training Curriculum reflecting stakeholder feedback and validation outcomes. 
• Final Publication-Ready Curriculum suitable for future piloting, impact evaluation, and public dissemination. 

Duration of the Assignment:  

The consultancy will be implemented by the engaged consultant(s)/firm over a period of 12 working days, covering inception, training curriculum development, stakeholder consultations, regional validation, revision, and finalization. 

Required Qualifications and Experience:  

The consultant/firm should have the following: 

• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in Gender Studies, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Education, Political Science, Community Development, or a related field. 
• Minimum of seven (7) years' experience in curriculum development, adult learning, leadership development, or gender-focused programming. 
• Proven expertise in women's empowerment, gender equality, social norms change, political participation, and community governance. 
• Demonstrated experience working with traditional institutions, community leaders, faith-based organizations, or similar stakeholders. 
• Strong understanding of Nigeria's socio-cultural, political, and regional dynamics. 
• Experience conducting stakeholder consultations and validation processes across diverse contexts, including conflict-affected settings. 
• Excellent facilitation, analytical, writing, and communication skills. 
• Demonstrated experience producing high-quality training manuals, toolkits, curricula, or learning resources. 
• Experience working with international development organizations, research institutions, or donor-funded programmes. 
• Fluency in English and at least one relevant local language will be an added advantage. 

The following compliance documents should be submitted: 

• Company profile 
• CAC registration (CAC 7) 
• Tax clearance certificate 
• Evidence of previous jobs, especially with INGOs 
• Audited accounts (at least 2025) 

Submission of Expression of Interest:  

Please send your expression of interest detailing: 

1. A cover letter demonstrating suitability for the assignment and CV 
2. Evidence of similar assignments completed within the last three (3) years (attachments only) 
3. A proposal outlining the proposed methodology and approach. 
4. Financial Budget  

Applications must be submitted electronically in one MS Word/Excel file to: procurement.nigeria@actionaid.org with the subject line: Consultant Name/Firm “EOI – Development of Training Curriculum for Traditional Leaders and Custodians of Culture” no later than 19th October 2026. 

Women, youth, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.