Social Protection for Inclusion (SPI)

The Social Protection Initiative (SPI) aims to establish financial protection for the vulnerable group of people with intellectual disabilities in Nigeria. This will be achieved through the implementation of a platform that links crowdsourcing to financial institutions enabling a cash transfer based social protection program that subsidizes household income of PWIDs in Nigeria. The platform also provides access to financial literacy training specially simplified to match literacy levels of PWIDs and their family members to promote sustainable living.

The SPI solution is the first targeted scheme aimed at combating income and social inequality faced by PWIDs in Nigeria, impacting 250 households with the potential to be scaled thus impacting other vulnerable groups regionally. Also, possible expansion to other Special Olympics affiliates in developing nations lacking social protection for vulnerable groups.

Income inequality is prevalent in developing nations such as Nigeria where patterns of poverty are spread across geographically. As a country with a high rate of poverty and inequality, Nigeria spends less on social protection than every other lower-middle income country and most of its regional peers (World Bank, 2019). Social protection is essential to tackle poverty, as there are an estimated 64% of Nigerians currently living in poverty (UNICEF, 2017), with vulnerable groups such as people with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) the most affected. 

Further Research indicates that people with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) account for one in five world's poorest (World Bank, 2015), they are also statistically the most unbanked and excluded members from global and national economies with only 0.5% out of 15% of people with disabilities in the developing world population, currently possessing accounts with microfinance institutions (Center for Financial Inclusion,2020).

Through the implementation of a social protection solution for PWIDs, we aim to promote financial inclusion through provision of tailored income support, financial literacy programs encompassing data for management to provide further financial support to PWIDs.

Our solution targets people with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs), a term used for individuals with certain limitations in cognitive functioning and skills, including communication, social and self-care skills.  The solution empowers PWIDs with financial aid and literacy,  power tools necessary for financial independence and inclusion in society. 

Our experience, and conducted research reveals that over 70% of PWIDs in Nigeria come from informal sector households with a monthly income of less than $100. Through our engagement with parents, we found that 97% are financially unable to set up a savings fund for their ward, despite their desire to secure a financially stable future for them. In the event of the death of guardians, PWIDs are left to fend for themselves, with no homes and jobs, they are left on the street. Most PWIDs face a life of financial insecurity indicating a dire need for their financial empowerment. 

Consultations with PWIDs, their parents and guardians generated the SPI solution, a platform that encompasses components facilitating crowdfunding, financial literacy, and social insurance scheme registration for PWIDs. By promoting knowledge, registration, and participation in various financial services we empower PWIDs with financial inclusion in today's society. 

Over 70% of people with Intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) are engaged from households in the informal sector which accounts for over 65% of Nigeria’s population (World Bank, 2015). They typically have limited access to financial services and social protection which is needed to address the increasing poverty and vulnerability levels of PWIDs.

The SPI solution promotes the inclusion of marginalized members of society typically excluded from financial services by facilitating and encouraging enrollment of PWID communities into specifically tailored savings schemes to safeguard their community and empower them financially.

Government facilitated social protection schemes are yet to catch up with the fast-growing Nigerian population. Hence, there are several private run social insurance schemes, readily available to those in the formal labor force, excluding vulnerable groups in informal labor. In this vulnerable group exists people with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) who typically lack access to basic services.

The SPI is a unique solution designed to empower and financially include PWIDs through facilitating crowdfunding, financial literacy, and registration of financial services. 

• Social Aid registration: Facilitated registration of PWIDs to financial institutions post Identity registration. Accounts will be financed by PWIDs and supplemented with donated funds from the crowdfunding platform enabled. Donated funds will be disbursed using a cash transfer scheme to support the households of PWIDs.

• Financial Literacy: There will be physical and online classes on the platform specifically tailored to the understanding and literacy levels of PWIDs, empowering them with sustainable money management skills.

• Crowdfunding: The solution will utilize a crowdfunding platform that will enable donations from the public. The donations will be targeted towards support for the welfare of PWIDs in Nigeria, with priority placed on those who rely on less than $50/month. 

The strategic combination of these main components of the solution is what makes it unique as it builds public support for welfare of those in need, establishes an effective cash transfer social program, and improves financial literacy of PWIDs to protect against chronic hunger, poverty, and social exclusion, while enhancing sustainability of their financial inclusion.

The innovative SPI solution is part of Special Olympics Nigeria’s strategic vision to digitize the movement and foster inclusive services for people with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs). Through this initiative, Special Olympics Nigeria will offer money management tips, and lessons tailored for PWIDs. It enables a crowdfunding platform to allow funding that will be used to support PWIDs who have been registered and issued a national identification. The registration is important to facilitate access of PWIDs to financial services being offered by the partnering financial institutions. 

The SPI solution platform will link to accounts created with the partnering financial institutions. A conditional cash transfer process will be set up for funds received from program initiation and contributions from sponsors. This will be distributed on a 50:25:25. With 50% of raised funds invested, for their returns to be added to future payouts for people with intellectual disabilities; 25% of the remaining funds disbursed on a monthly basis to people with ID based on priority according to data management; the other 25% is invested into a savings account opened for each recipient to grow their asset.

This innovative solution will be successful as global evidence supports the notion that social protection programs support policies to generate better jobs, and ensure access to jobs (World Bank Report, 2019). The social protection the SPI solution provides is the first one of a kind cash transfer social assistance program to subsidize and empower PWIDs, thereby promoting their inclusion in the Nigerian society.

The SPI solution is based on the theory of change that by offering a social protective scheme that provides income support and financial inclusive services, we improve the quality of life of PWIDs. 

Facilitation of input activities such as: 

• Income support: enabled through the distribution of funds raised through crowdfunding and,

• Inclusive services: services such as education and training provided through classes and presentations on financial management, registration of National Identity possessing PWIDs with financial institutions for social insurance benefits

Generate desired outputs such as:

• Dependable source of subsidized income and social insurance schemes that will support PWIDs and their family regardless of economic shocks

• PWIDs and their family members gain financial competency in business, financing, budgeting, and social savings schemes 

The desired output lead to short term outcomes such as: 

• PWIDs demonstrate increased financial knowledge by enrolling and engaging with our social saving program 

• Expansion of program offering regionally, increasing impact reach of saving schemes platform as a commitment to financial inclusion of PWID

The desired long-term outcomes include: 

• PWIDs manage, monitor, and increase their respective saving programs 

• Reduced poverty and vulnerability to future economic shocks experienced by PWIDs and their family members

• Increased equality, and inclusion of PWIDs in society leading to a better quality of living

• Increased awareness and support of the inclusion of PWIDs through implementation of policies that support social protection, education and employment programs to this vulnerable group

The SPI solution allows for nationally registered vulnerable individuals to receive services and need based financial support. The platform’s framework can easily be duplicated and or incorporated into any social protection program. As the platform offers solutions targeted to sustain and empower vulnerable groups with supported income, and the financial literacy to manage the supported and future income. The cash transfer services offered based on the developed matrix enables sustainability of the program with the investment capability, and the acquired savings for the beneficiaries of the program. 

The framework and distribution matrix can be easily incorporated into any social protection scheme for vulnerable groups to coordinate and implement social safety net interventions at all levels that improve their quality of life.

SPI is designed to understand and meet the needs of end users by providing a solution that offers dependable financial support to the vulnerable group of people living with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs). The components of this solution addressed below can be incorporated into any social protection program to meet their needs and demands.

• Design: The registration for financial services is brought to the communities of PWIDs to enable flexible subscription to financial services registration that will ease receipt of financial aid support to the beneficiaries.

• Automation: Once registration drive is complete, the data is uploaded and synched with the financial solution to collate, invest, save, and distribute funds automatically. Thereby providing comfort to benefitting PWIDs and their family, through convenient fund remittance.

• Administration: The solution provides a strong administrative support system from Special Olympics Nigeria and the partnering financial institutions to ensure that quality support is provided to PWIDs to enhance user satisfaction

• Other Services: The solution provides educational services, available through physical and online delivery, for PWIDs and their family members to improve their knowledge on the various available financial services and their money management skills

These components combine to enhance the user experience of the solution’s beneficiaries, to drive the optimal satisfaction and financial inclusion of PWIDs.

Social protection programs in Nigeria are just emerging. There is yet to be a widely accepted and formally instituted social protection framework with sufficient coverage that reaches at least 50% of the poor population. The SPI solution will be the first social protection program specifically structured to target the estimated economically vulnerable 3.2 million people living with intellectual disabilities in Nigeria.

SPI solution is interoperable with the drive for national identity registration. The collation of needs-based data is enabled through survey data achieved from registered nationals. This key feature is important to effective deployment of the solution. With increased registration of nationals and improved database, the SPI solution is appropriate to be expanded and replicated across sectors as it achieves goals of reducing vulnerability and poverty, accomplished through the needs-based cash distribution capability it offers. 

Through partnership with reputable national financial institutions that accept service offerings as part of their social responsibility. The financial service support they provide for the solution, makes replication of the social protection solution offerings to differing vulnerable groups unchallenging. 

The solution complements and utilizes other existing standards, such as the national identity systems and financial systems, to be able to efficiently provide cash transfer coverage tailored to a large population of vulnerable people. Due to the compatibility with the identified standard agencies, the solution provides value by adequately providing financial support to the comprehensive database of high need individuals.

When serving vulnerable communities, it is expected that they experience various social lack such as poverty, illiteracy, inadequate network, and connectivity. Hence the proposed solution is structured to address these challenges as follows: 

• Training - Continuous training of financial institution administration staff on the population being served so that they can match the understanding and literacy levels of PWIDs to ensure efficient service provision.

• Education - Sensitization and education is offered both physical and online to PWIDs promoting effective knowledge of financial literacy, financial services, and benefits of the solution.

• Technology - Computerization of the solution cash transfer matrix deployed in partnership with finance institutions allows for seamless funds transfer to beneficiaries. 

The outlined provisions of the solution effectively resolve connectivity and literacy issues ensuring adequate service is provided to beneficiaries.

The SPI solution is estimated to impact an estimated 250 households in the first year of implementation. The five year goal will be to offer adequate social protection coverage to an estimated 5000 households of people living with intellectual disabilities in Nigeria, with a future projection to roll out the solution extensively to every member of the PWID community.

The strategic plan of the organization is to foster inclusive services and settings for vulnerable groups of PWIDs over the next 5 years. Our vision is to promote and strategically position the Special Olympics Nigeria brand to be recognized as the preferred partner for fostering social impact and inclusive services through sports, healthcare, and empowerment programs for people with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) in Nigeria. 

The implementation of a social protection program targeted towards people with intellectual disabilities achieves our vision to facilitate and foster inclusive services and spaces for PWIDs in Nigeria. The SPI solution will impact an estimated 250 households in the pilot year, with the aim of serving the entire vulnerable population of PWIDs, to drive inclusion in various financial, and educational services thereby promoting and fostering access to inclusive services that will improve the standard of living of PWIDs. We plan to achieve this goal by continuous crowdfunding, establishment of partnerships with grant bodies, corporations, and government agencies. 

Our goal of empowering people with intellectual disabilities through financial inclusion, faces various challenges.

• Economic Challenges: Pioneering and implementing any program requires adequate resources. As a nonprofit, acquiring sustainable means of funding to scale the solution across the nation will be necessary.

• Technology Challenges: Cost and duplication of ICT is expensive to run without adequate infrastructure which Nigeria lacks thus leading to low usage and distrust of technology. High cost of mobile technology and internet subscription services may also discourage PWIDs and their supporting systems.

• Cultural Challenges:  Based on research carried out by SO Nigeria, most vulnerable groups and support systems hold biases towards financial saving systems 

• Social Challenges: Communication gaps arising from financial service institutions inability to understand and interact effectively with beneficiaries due to cognitive disparities

The following opportunities are ways we intend to create advantages that will help with overcoming the outlined challenges:

• Economic Challenges:

• • Create innovative fundraising techniques

  • Strategically establish sustainable partnerships with individuals, organizations, and government whose interest and goals align

• Technology Challenges:

  • Continuous technology upgrade to maintain an updated database with effective and accurate data.

  • Availability of physical training and seminars on financial literacy will encourage those not able to access online training due to cost challenges.

• Cultural Challenges: 

  • Dispersed knowledge and information on the importance and benefits of the solution to encourage and promote participation of PWIDs and their family members in financial saving schemes.

• Social Challenges:

  • Provision of continuous orientation to financial service staff and the administrative team assigned to the coordination and management of PWID and the social protection scheme.

Not Applicable

The estimated number of people who will be working on the planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring and control of the SPI solution are as follows:

Full time staff: 2
Part time staff: 8
Volunteers: 50
Contractors: 12

Special Olympics Nigeria is committed to long-term, transformational change. For 17 years, we have consistently delivered programs supporting over 26,000 PWIDs in sports, healthcare, and empowerment throughout 28 states in Nigeria. Over the years, we have established a strong trustworthy relationship with this group, their family and community members.

We have strong organizational governance and program management processes and are equipped operationally and financially to ensure our programs achieve the intended results, and are delivered within the specified timeframe and budget, while ensuring that resources are properly allocated and managed. Some programs we have successfully implemented include:

• Skillz for Life (2015-Present): Sponsored by The ExxonMobil foundation and supported by Laureus Foundation, the program provides education and free malaria and HIV testing to PWIDs and their family members. The program has provided over 15,000 mosquito nets  and impacted over 22,000 beneficiaries.

• Sports for Hope (2019): Sponsored by the Embassy of France in Nigeria, the program promoted inclusion through sports and information sessions that reinforced values that improved health and quality of life of 611 youth and 1000 family members.

• Unified Sports Program (2019-2020): The ESPN sponsored program helped to combat stereotypes about PWIDs by bringing 587 people with and without intellectual disabilities to learn and play sports together.

SO Nigeria project staff are passionate and highly skilled to ensure project performance indicators are SMARTT (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound and Trackable), and data collection is comprehensive and objective to effectively analyze delivery of project.

Ministry of Education: We work with the Ministry of Education to ensure participation of public school students in our organized programming. 

State Universal Board of Education (SUBEB): The partnership with SUBEB gives us the authority to specifically provide and tailor programming for special and inclusive school students. 

 National Institute of Sports (NIS): The NIS supports us with provision of sports facilities and technical professionals at favorable terms as needed. 

Child Protection Network: Our partnership with CPN provides staff, volunteers with training and increased awareness on child protection system framework policies, guidelines, reporting channels and access to justice.

Local Government and Community Leaders: We partner with local leaders to achieve the needed support for the implementation of our varying program activities. 

National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS): The partnership established with NHIS is to empower PWIDs, their family and community members with knowledge of the available public health insurance program. 

ExxonMobil Foundation - there is a 5 years ongoing partnership with the foundation as sponsors of the Skillz for Life project across various states in the country

Globally, history has shown that people hold misconceptions and negative attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities. Consequently, SO Nigeria, driven by its commitment to ensure real, transformative, and sustainable change, consistently creates inclusive communities towards improving the standard of living for this group.

SO Nigeria has implemented vast programming in health, sport, and capacity building to fight the stigma, demonstrate the abilities and change attitudes towards the target population. With implementation in 28 out of the 36 states in Nigeria, we have impacted over 28,000 locally registered people with ID through the provision of  local and international sport training and competition opportunities, free health screenings in 5 disciplines (general body screening, vision care, dentistry, audiology, and physical therapy), malaria and HIV testing community drives. Over 26,000 family and community members have also been empowered through sports, education, and family health forums as they are always included in our programming to develop a strong trust-based relationship with this vulnerable group and their support system. 

We are committed to ensuring the inclusion of PWIDs into the society. We accomplish this by empowering people with ID to achieve their personal best on and off the field of play including building relationships, improving health, and gaining income generating skills. Thus, embarking on this project is in line with our strategic vision to increase quality of life and champion the inclusion of people with ID by getting them nationally registered to be recognized by governing authorities for the services and assistantships they deserve.

SO Nigeria achieves sustainable funding from the following main sources: 

• Grant and Aid opportunities: Creatively approaching opportunities whose goals align with the goals of the organization, to obtain funding that enables mobilizing of impactful programming.

• Partnership Opportunities: Leveraging opportunities to establish partnership with public, private, governmental, and non-governmental organizations for monetary and in-kind support to enable the achievement of aligned goals.

• Crowdsourcing Opportunities: Utilizing innovative business models, solution focused, and technology driven methods to accelerate monetary support from individuals in various platforms, to address social issues.

Funds are yet to be raised for this solution.

The SPI solution is estimated to cost $127,518 which we hope to raise through selection of the solution by the Mission Billion Challenge WURI West Africa.

Expenses Budget Narrative:

Salaries and Benefits

2 Full time staff - 100% assignment to the project @$6,000 per staff per annum 

Total - $12000

Consultants

Independent External Monitoring and evaluation consultant @$5,000/annum 

Total - $5,000

Technology

Software Development @ $11,000

Production of educative videos, Guides, Visual aids and other learning resources @ $ 10,000

Total - $20,000

Financial Protection Fund

Initial take off fund to match crowdfunding target for Financial Protection investment @ $50,000

Total - $50,000

Information session & Sensitization

Stipend to 6 consultants for finance and literacy session for 12 months @ $100/consultant/month - $7,200

Venue, chairs, tables, public address system, projector, and generator rental costs @ $1200/month for 12 months - $14,400

Stipend to 50 community volunteers for registration and finance literacy session @ $25/volunteer/month - $15,000

Allowance for project office supplies and stationeries @ $64/month - $768

Total     -     $37,368

Publicity

Cost of Photography, video coverage, print media, radio feature, sponsored posts and advertisements on social media for 12 months @ $ 3,600/annum

Cost of promotional items (banners, flyers, guides) @ $3,400/annum

Total -  $7,000

Logistics & Communication

Transportation Allowance for 10 Project staff (community engagement @ $500/month -  $6,000/annum

Telephone recharge and internet subscriptions allowance to project staff for coordination @ $250/month - $3,000

Total - $9,000

Grand total -    $141,368

The battle to end discrimination of people with intellectual disabilities (PWIDs) is far from over, despite the disability bill being passed into law in 2019. There has been little to no record of implementation of this bill. Hence, this solution is one of the steps we are taking to make a big leap towards the financial inclusion of PWIDs. 

The economic challenges faced by PWIDs in Nigeria has been exacerbated since the advent of the global pandemic. To foster inclusive social services to support this disadvantaged group through this current and future economic shocks. This prize will enable us to efficiently implement the well designed social protection solution targeted towards the vulnerable high need PWIDs in our society, with a solution that provides financial support, services, and literacy to PWIDs and their family members to enable their independence and financial inclusion. 

Winning the Mission Billion Challenge will enable us to overcome economic and technological barriers faced by SO Nigeria and its peers working as a non-profit for vulnerable communities in Nigeria. Adequate funding unlocks tools and resources needed to put on a platform successfully, provide classes and learning tools, initial savings to be paid out and invested for athletes, cognitive sensitive application and awareness among others.

Our partnership goals are to collaborate with organizations that share the Special Olympics brand values, and support our programs that succeed in changing lives, building advocacy networks and creating a lasting positive impact. 

Special Olympics Nigeria’s goals is to establish and maintain relationships structured to best meet the partners' objectives and Special Olympics Nigerias’ needs, with the aim of achieving the depth to offer abundant opportunities for involvement at a community level, and the reach potential to provide global visibility.

EDC Fund Management - Partnering with this financial institution will aid in providing specifically tailored saving and benefit structured schemes for PWIDs. 

Old Mutual - Our partnership with Old Mutual, an insurance firm, will work in collaboration with EDC partnership to provide savings and investment services that are beneficial to PWIDs.

Google Developers - A partnership with google developers will aid in developing the application used to foster financial management for PWIDs.