JEI is a non-profit, non-governmental organization with offices in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria. We support the Nigerian Slum / Informal Settlement Federation (Federation) to empower poor and marginalized individuals and communities to lead the changes that they would like to see in their own communities -- whether greater access to justice for the poor, pro-poor urban governance and policy, or community-led in-situ upgrading and development. 

Our work is community driven, community owned, and community sustained. The Federation and its member communities identify their needs and set priorities. These priorities direct all aspects of our work.

 
 
 

We bring technical expertise in law, advocacy, urban planning, creative media, and community organizing to inform, strengthen and support Federation-led efforts to solve justice and development problems.

 
 
 

Our ultimate goal is to build the capacity of poor and marginalized individuals and help set up sustainable community-level and inter-community structures to support and leverage their efforts and resources to bring about lasting change.

 
community-owned and inclusive development.png
 
 

Three core principles guide our work:

 

JEI continually strives to overcome forces of exclusion of the urban poor by dismantling barriers preventing the poorest individuals from accessing justice, benefiting from development efforts, and directly participating in urban planning and governance. JEI requires equal representation and participation of women and men, and recognizes women’s unique capacity to work for the betterment of their families and communities. Finally, JEI supports communities in demanding accountability in the face of impunity and finding ways to access government services or justice institutions without participating in everyday corruption. 

partnership and collaboration:
Partnership and collaboration are essential to all of our work. We are incredibly thankful for the generous support and guidance provided by our partners. If you would like to partner with us, please contact us at info@justempower.org.

Collaboration with other NGOs, CBOs, universities, and government actors is a critical component of our work as we seek to leverage collective resources, capacities, and specializations in order to achieve greater impact. A special thank you to everyone who shares our vision for change.