Consultant to Conduct Baseline Assessment on Access to Justice in Sokoto and Kano States Consultancy

Scope: Conduct Baseline Assessment to Determine the Level and Identify Challenges to Access to Justice in Sokoto and Kano States

Location: Remote, Nigeria

Application Close: July 11, 2025

Background
Nigeria insecurity has metastasized over the past decade, particularly in its northern region. The North-western region, is plagued by farmer-herder conflicts, intercommunal clashes, terror-banditry, political, ethnic and religious tensions. The failure to address these crises has deepened food insecurity, driven inflation, and eroded trust between citizens and the government.

While entire communities are adversely impacted by these crises, women inordinately bear the brunt and are increasingly vulnerable to multiple forms of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), displacement, loss of livelihoods, and disenfranchisement.

Despite existing legal frameworks, significant gaps remain in both the protection of survivors and the prosecution of perpetrators. Survivors often face stigma, silence, and secondary victimization when they seek redress. Many lack awareness of their rights, while others are deterred by the cost, distance, slow pace, or perceived bias of formal justice systems. Traditional and religious mechanisms, though more accessible, often fall short in addressing GBV in a rights-based and survivor-centered manner.

Global Rights, with support from the FCDO Nigeria Stability Programme, implemented a two-phase project that strengthened civic participation and peacebuilding in Northwest Nigeria, including Sokoto and Kano States. These initiatives created platforms for women’s engagement in peace dialogues, leveraging existing structures and strategic relationships. In this context, assessing the landscape of access to justice, particularly for women and girls Sokoto and Kano, will help identify key entry points, institutional gaps, and community perceptions that must be addressed to strengthen the justice response to insecurity and GBV.

Global Rights therefore seeks to engage a consultant to conduct baseline research assessment to determine the level and identify challenges to access to justice in Sokoto and Kano states.

Objective

To assess the current level of access to justice in Sokoto and Kano and identify the key barriers that hinder timely and effective justice for survivors of gender-based violence and other vulnerable groups.

Scope

• Map existing justice mechanisms; their processes, roles, and accessibility for vulnerable groups, especially women and girls.
• Identify legal, institutional, socio-cultural, and security-related barriers to accessing justice, with particular attention to GBV cases.
• Assess the capacity and responsiveness of relevant justice sector actors including police, courts, legal aid services, social welfare departments, and community-based structures.
• Examine perceptions and experiences of justice among survivors of GBV and other marginalized populations, including trust in institutions and willingness to report.
• Provide actionable recommendations for strengthening access to justice and survivor-centered responses in both states.

Deliverables:

• An inception report outlining the assessment methodology, tools, sampling framework, work plan, and ethical considerations to be submitted within the first two weeks of commencement.
• A draft baseline assessment report analyzing findings.
• A finalized baseline report with incorporated feedback.

Timeline: 7 weeks

Expected Qualifications: Team Lead

• A degreed in Law, Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Development Studies, Human Rights, or a related field.
• Proven experience in conducting assessments, research, or evaluations related to access to justice, gender-based violence, or human rights in Nigeria or similar contexts.
• Demonstrated understanding of the justice sector in Northern Nigeria, including formal and informal systems.
• Strong analytical and report writing skills.
• Fluency in English and knowledge of Hausa language.
• Familiarity with the geopolitical and cultural context of Sokoto and Kano States.

Intellectual Property Rights:

All intellectual property rights arising from the consultancy will be the property of Global Rights. The research team will not disclose or use any confidential information obtained during the consultancy for any other purpose without the written consent of Global Rights.

Confidentiality and Ethical Considerations:
The research team will ensure that all data collected during the consultancy is treated with the utmost confidentiality and in accordance with ethical principles. In particular, the team will obtain informed consent from all participants before collecting any data and will ensure that data is stored securely and only accessible to authorized personnel. The team will also comply with any relevant legal and ethical standards and will report any ethical concerns or violations to Global Rights immediately.

Reporting:

The consultant will report to the Executive Director or the designate.

Proposal Submission:

Interested qualified consultants are invited to submit a proposal that includes the following:

• An understanding of the requirements
• Methodology and work plan for performing the assignment
• Project delivery plans
• Relevant services undertaken in the past with detailed reference list indicating the scope of similar assignments
• Budget
• Registration and other relevant statutory documents
• 2 research samples

Please note that we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted

Tagged as: Global Rights, Nigeria