Terms of Reference (ToR): Rapid Assessment of the Context of and Opportunities for Refugees and Displaced Youth in Nigeria.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested applicants are encouraged to submit their applications early.

1. Background

Nigeria hosts substantial populations of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), refugees and asylum seekers, with displacement driven by armed conflict, insecurity, intercommunal tensions and climate-related pressures. As of 1 October 2026, available figures indicate approximately 3.7 million IDPs and 141,688 refugees and asylum seekers.

Displaced youth aged 18–35 face multiple barriers to education, skills development, employment, entrepreneurship and economic participation. These include disrupted educational pathways, limited access to training and financial services, documentation requirements, restricted economic opportunities, and social exclusion. Young women and youth with disabilities may experience additional barriers. These barriers may be compounded by intersecting factors such as age, gender, disability, displacement status, socioeconomic circumstances and geographic location. Gender norms, unpaid care responsibilities, safety concerns and limited accessibility may further constrain participation in education and economic opportunities. However, the circumstances of refugees, asylum seekers and IDPs differ considerably, including in terms of their legal status, access to services, institutional support and opportunities for economic inclusion.

These differences are also shaped by geography, local economic conditions, government policies and the capacities and incentives of institutions responsible for supporting displaced populations.

The Mastercard Foundation, through its partnership with WUSC under the DREEM project, seeks to strengthen opportunities for refugees and displaced youth (RDPs) to access education, develop relevant skills and participate meaningfully in economic life. In Nigeria, there is particular interest in understanding opportunities to strengthen the inclusion of internally displaced youth, alongside refugees and asylum seekers.

A rapid contextual assessment is therefore proposed to consolidate existing evidence, examine the institutional and structural factors shaping RDP inclusion, and identify practical opportunities for future programming, partnerships and policy engagement.

2. Purpose of the Assessment

The assessment aims to generate practical, context-specific evidence on the barriers and
opportunities affecting the inclusion of refugees and internally displaced youth in Nigeria,

particularly in education, skills development, employment, entrepreneurship and broader economic participation.It will examine the policy, institutional, socioeconomic and political economy factors shaping these opportunities, including the roles and incentives of relevant government institutions, private sector actors, development partners and refugee- and IDP-led organizations. The assessment will apply an intersectional lens to understand how barriers and opportunities differ among displaced youth, particularly young women, youth with disabilities and those experiencing multiple forms of exclusion.

The assessment will inform the Mastercard Foundation's and DREEM's understanding of th Nigerian context and help identify feasible areas for programmatic support, institutional

partnerships and policy engagement.

Please click this link to view the full Terms of Reference (TOR).