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UNICEF, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, works together with partners in 190 countries and territories to promote and advocate for the protection of the rights of every child.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Education

In Nigeria, UNICEF works in a complex humanitarian and development setting to fulfill and protect children's rights in partnership with the government, civil society, children, and families.  UNICEF Nigeria is one of the largest UNICEF Country Offices globally - click the link to learn more about UNICEF in Nigeria: https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/

Background:

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with approximately 227 million people, with more than half below 18 years of age in 2023.  The country’s population is estimated to have grown annually at 1.5 per cent on average between 2018 and 2023, and the child population is projected to reach 124 million by 2030.  The rapid population growth places significant pressure on the delivery of social services, while it creates a potential to reap dividend from the impending youth bulge if the country successfully invests in children’s education. 

Despite notable achievements in the education sector, the Nigerian education sector continues to face significant challenges in access, equity, quality and relevance of education. Although basic education is free and compulsory, 10.2 million children at primary school age and 8.1 million children at junior secondary school age were out of school in 2018.  About 75 per cent of children aged 7–14 did not acquire foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills that are critical for further learning in 2021.  The percentage of children who did not reach the curriculum-anchored minimum proficiency level in Mathematics was as low as 50 per cent in Primary 3, 34 per cent in Primary 5 and 14 per cent in Junior Secondary 2 in 2022.

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work:

Activity 1:

Support education sector analysis. Support the FME and the technical working group (TWG) in conducting the education sector analysis (ESA). The ESA will provide evidence for bottlenecks and key strategic issues in the education sector to be addressed in NESSP. The consultant is expected to undertake the following activities:

1) Develop a draft framework for ESA, which presents, among others, the purpose of ESA, analytical dimensions, structure of ESA, data to be collected, data collection methods, and analytical methods. 

2) Moderate a meeting to finalize the ESA framework.

3) Review available data and identify additional data to be collected.

4) Moderate a guided workshop to help TWG analyze data, interpret results, and write ESA sections/chapters.

5) Moderate a meeting to review the draft ESA and provide TWG with concrete guidance on ESA revisions.

6) Support compiling the 2nd submission of ESA sections/chapters.

7) Moderate a joint ESA review meeting and support consultations with wider stakeholders.

8) Finalize ESA by incorporating feedback received.

Activity 2:

Develop NESSP 2027-2036. Support the FME and the TWG to develop the NESSP using the ESA results. NESSP is expected to address the vision, strategic issues, goals and targets, and operational plans in the education sector, among others.  The consultant is expected to undertake the following activities:

1) Develop a draft framework for NESSP, which presents, among others, the purpose of NESSP, key items to be included in NESSP, and structure of NESSP.

2) Moderate a meeting to finalize the NESSP framework.

3) Moderate a guided workshop to help TWG write sections/chapters using the results from ESA.

4) Moderate a meeting to review the draft NESSP and provide TWG with concrete guidance on NESSP revisions.

5)  Support compiling the 2nd submission of NESSP sections/chapters.

6) Moderate a joint NESSP review meeting and support consultations with wider stakeholders.

7)  Finalize NESSP by incorporating feedback received.

Work Assignment/Overview:

Task/work area

1.  Activity 1: Support education sector analysis.

Deliverables/Outputs

• Final ESA framework
• Available/Additional data for ESA
• Draft ESA
• Final ESA

2. Develop NESSP 2027-2036.

• Final NESSP framework
• Draft NESSP
• Final NESSP

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  TOR_Development of National Education Sector Strategic Plan_1April2026_Abuja Nigeria.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Advanced university degree in Education, International development, Social sciences or other relevant fields.

At least five years of experiences in conducting and supporting education sector analysis including collection and review of education data.

At least five years of experiences in supporting government in developing education sector plans.

Demonstrated expertise and experiences in providing training and coaching to government officers in low-income and middle-income countries on education planning and management.

Experiences in supporting education sector development and coordination in emergency context.

Experiences in working with UNICEF or international organizations.

Experiences in working for development projects funded by international donors.

Experiences in working in Nigeria or other sub-Saharan African countries.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is also proud of a diverse workforce who are profoundly committed to supporting the full realization of children’s rights, and in uplifting a rights-based approach in all that we do.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others  

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. 

All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.