The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs)

What The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs) does

The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs) is a Nigerian nonprofit human rights organization founded in 2014 and headquartered in Lagos, operating across all six of Nigeria's geopolitical zones with 13 staff. It serves LGBTQI+ Nigerians and people living with HIV through an integrated service model that combines clinical care, mental health therapy, legal aid, emergency response, and economic empowerment, delivered at no cost to beneficiaries.

TIERs' core operational assets are the TIERs Wellness Centre, a HEFAMAA-certified clinic, and the EDGE Emergency Response Fund, which has run for 11 years and handled thousands of cases. Underpinning these is a longitudinal data collection system that has positioned TIERs as a primary research hub for queer research in West Africa, feeding advocacy submissions and donor reporting. The organization also delivers economic justice and career programs, a media advocacy project, and convenes an annual symposium on equal rights.

The business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: TIERs does not charge beneficiaries and is sustained by international institutional donors including ViiV Healthcare, the European Commission, GiveOut, and M·A·C VIVA GLAM, complemented by formal partnerships with NACA, LSACA, NHRC, FCT-HMB, FCT SACA, and 36 State SACAs. Programmatic scale in 2025 included 1,300+ clinic clients, 4,200+ mental health therapy sessions, and a six-hospital pilot in Lagos, Ogun, and Ekiti to integrate LGBTQI+-competent care into public health infrastructure.

Name

The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs)

Legal name

The Initiative For Equal Rights

Website

https://theinitiativeforequalrights.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs) is a Lagos-headquartered Nigerian nonprofit founded in 2014 that delivers free integrated services—HIV care, mental health therapy, legal aid, and economic empowerment—to LGBTQI+ Nigerians and people living with HIV across all six geopolitical zones, sustained by international grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Global Health Advocacy, Policy & Rights Organizations (HLAJAKAO), Community Health & Health Equity/Social Determinants Units (HLAJAAAO)

Keywords

• Human rights advocacy
• LGBTQI+ health services
• HIV prevention care
• Mental health counselling
• Legal aid services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagos

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. International Grants and Donations: TIERs relies on international donors and grant funding from organizations such as ViiV Healthcare's Positive Action, European Commission, and GiveOut. These funds support HIV programming, human rights advocacy, economic justice programs, and emergency response services.
2. Charitable Donations: Individual donations through platforms like GlobalGiving and Paystack support TIERs' programs and services for marginalized communities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TIERs is a nonprofit human rights organization that provides free, comprehensive services to marginalized communities in Nigeria, including LGBTQI+ individuals and people living with HIV. Its offerings span a HEFAMAA-certified Wellness Centre clinic delivering sexual and reproductive health services and ARV medication, 24/7 mental health therapy hotlines, free legal representation for SOGIESC-based human rights violations, and the EDGE Emergency Response Fund. It also runs narrative change programs (QConvos Podcast, Living Library, Legislative Theatre), research and documentation, and economic justice initiatives.

Product overview

The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs) is a nonprofit human rights organization offering a comprehensive suite of services for marginalized communities in Nigeria. The organization operates primarily through its Wellness Centre (a HEFAMAA-certified clinic providing HIV services, ARV medication, and sexual health care), mental health therapy with 24/7 hotlines, and legal representation. Crisis response is handled through the EDGE Emergency Response system and Fund, while advocacy work spans narrative change programs (QConvos Podcast, Living Library, Legislative Theatre), research and documentation (annual Human Rights Violations Reports), and economic justice initiatives. Additional platforms include the 'Where Love is a Crime' commentary site. The organization functions as a service-based nonprofit rather than a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• QConvos Podcast: A narrative change initiative through storytelling and advocacy.
• Where Love is a Crime
• TIERs Wellness Centre

Products and services

• TIERs Wellness Centre HEFAMAA-certified sexual and reproductive health clinic providing free HIV prevention, care, support, ARV medication, and related services for marginalized groups including people with HIV and sex workers in Nigeria.
• Mental Health Therapy Free psychosocial counselling delivered through one-on-one therapy sessions and 24/7 crisis hotlines (0908893562, 08146337128) for individuals in marginalized communities.
• Legal Representation Free legal aid provided by in-house and external lawyers for people facing human rights violations across Nigeria, with intake via a violation reporting mechanism.
• EDGE Emergency Response Accessible, urgent, human rights-centered emergency intervention for individuals or organizations whose rights have been violated due to SOGIESC-based prejudice or bias.
• EDGE Emergency Response Fund An 11-year-old fund providing financial support for legal representation, medical bills, and temporary relocation costs for queer individuals facing SOGIESC-based crises in Nigeria.
• Economic Justice Program Entrepreneurship and vocational training programs tailored for queer individuals, delivered with partners including financial institutions and employment agencies to provide financial education and job placement.
• Research and Documentation Research and documentation hub collaborating with universities and international organizations to expand queer-focused research, with robust data collection systems used to shape policy and advocacy.
• Narrative Change Program Programming that changes negative narratives and combats stigma against marginalized individuals through storytelling and advocacy, including Living Library events and Legislative Theatre.
• QConvos Podcast Podcast platform for narrative change through storytelling and advocacy, used to combat stigma against marginalized individuals.
• Where Love is a Crime TIERs-run commentary platform providing news, legal commentary, and community happenings content related to queer communities.
• Tackling Multi-Layered Stigma Project Project implementing stigma-free HIV care in six pilot public hospitals across Lagos, Ogun, and Ekiti states, in collaboration with NACA and LSACA, with IEC materials adopted onto NACA's national resources dashboard.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTIERs works with NHRC to provide support and intervention for reported cases. NHRC is privy to all reports documented while ensuring data security and protection of reporter identities.
• National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Tackling Multi-Layered Stigma project; TIERs' co-created IEC materials officially adopted and featured on NACA national resources dashboard, becoming a national blueprint for stigma-free care.
• Lagos State Agency for the Control of AIDS (LSACA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState partner in HIV stigma reduction efforts; collaborated on co-creating IEC materials for healthcare facilities.
• Outright InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTIERs worked alongside Outright International and researchers across the continent to document conversion practices in Nigeria.
• Rightify GhanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPanelist organization in Funding Resistance webinar discussing rapid response systems for grassroots queer communities in Ghana.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Outright International: Global LGBTQI+ rights NGO that directly partners with TIERs on research like conversion practices documentation; operates at much larger scale across multiple regions as a funder and capacity builder for grassroots partners.
• ILGA World: International federation of national and local LGBTQI+ organizations; comparable as a global umbrella advancing LGBTQI+ rights advocacy, policy, and research comparable to TIERs' mandate at much broader scale.
• Hivos: Dutch-based international development organization with significant LGBTQI+ rights and sexual health programming in Africa; comparable as a larger incumbent funder/implementer operating across similar geographies and themes.

Direct peers

• PATA (Positive Action for Treatment Access): Nigerian NGO focused on HIV treatment access, advocacy, and healthcare worker training; highly comparable as a Nigeria-based peer with overlapping HIV service delivery and human rights mandates.
• AMSHeR (African Men for Sexual Health and Rights): Pan-African coalition of MSM/LGBTQI+ organizations focused on HIV, sexual health, and rights advocacy; comparable as a regional network addressing overlapping HIV and human rights mandates for sexual minorities.
• APIN Public Health Initiatives: Leading Nigerian HIV/AIDS organization providing prevention, care, and treatment services; comparable as a larger Nigeria-based peer working on HIV programming with overlapping donor relationships (PEPFAR/USG ecosystem).
• Bisi Alimi Foundation: Nigeria-based LGBTQI+ rights organization founded by prominent Nigerian activist Bisi Alimi; directly comparable to TIERs as a fellow Nigerian grassroots org focused on advocacy, capacity building, and community empowerment.
• Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ): One of Africa's oldest LGBTQI+ organizations, providing health, rights documentation, and advocacy in Zimbabwe; closely comparable as a Southern African peer with similar integrated service delivery under hostile legal conditions.

Regional players

• Equality Triangle: Kenyan LGBTQI+ rights organization offering legal aid, health services, and advocacy; comparable as an East African peer with an integrated service model in a restrictive legal environment.
• ISDAO (Other Foundation): African LGBTQI+ foundation funding advocacy across the continent; comparable as a regional peer advancing LGBTQI+ rights through grantmaking and narrative change in hostile legal contexts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@theinitiativeforequalrights
• Instagraminstagram.com/theinitiativeforequalrights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tiersnigeria

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs)