Consultant for the Development of FLN Policy and Implementation Plan – International Candidates Only

ABOUT UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund works in more than 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, protect their rights and help them fulfil their potential from early childhood through adolescence.

UNICEF Nigeria works with the government and other partners to improve access to quality education and strengthen learning outcomes for children across the country.

JOB DETAILS

Position: Consultant for the Development of Foundational Learning Policy and Implementation Plan

Job Number: 594660

Duty Station: Abuja, Nigeria

Working Arrangement: Office-Based

Contract Type: Individual Consultancy

Contract Duration: Six Months

Candidate Category: International Candidates Only

Functional Area: Education

Application Deadline: 28 July 2026

JOB SUMMARY

UNICEF is seeking an experienced international education consultant to support the Federal Ministry of Education and its agencies in developing Nigeria’s Foundational Learning Policy and its implementation guidelines.

The consultancy will address challenges affecting foundational literacy and numeracy in Nigeria and support the development of a coordinated national framework for improving learning outcomes.

The consultant will report to UNICEF’s Education Manager for Learning under the overall supervision of the Chief of Education.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the Federal Ministry of Education and its agencies in developing a national Foundational Learning Policy.
• Develop practical implementation guidelines to support the effective delivery of the policy.
• Prepare an inception report detailing the proposed methodology, workplan and assignment timeline.
• Review available evidence on foundational literacy and numeracy implementation across Nigeria.
• Build on findings and gaps identified through Nigeria’s Foundational Learning Landscape Analysis.
• Co-facilitate three zonal consultation workshops on the proposed content and scope of the policy.
• Facilitate discussions on the roles and responsibilities of government agencies, states and education partners.
• Prepare a comprehensive report documenting findings from the national and zonal consultations.
• Develop the first draft of the National Foundational Learning Policy.
• Develop supporting guidance and implementation documents.
• Revise the draft policy based on feedback from UNICEF and government stakeholders.
• Prepare presentations, workshop materials and group-work tools for stakeholder consultations.
• Facilitate a national stakeholder workshop in Abuja to review and refine the draft policy.
• Document stakeholder feedback and recommendations from the consultation process.
• Prepare a third draft of the policy based on feedback from federal and state stakeholders.
• Facilitate the validation of the policy with the Federal Ministry of Education, Universal Basic Education Commission, civil society organisations and selected state representatives.
• Prepare a validation workshop report documenting key decisions and recommendations.
• Finalise, edit and format the National Foundational Learning Policy and supporting guidance documents.
• Develop and submit relevant knowledge-management products.
• Work with the Federal Ministry of Education, state governments and partners to map the number and locations of non-formal learning centres.
• Ensure that recommendations are practical, evidence-based and suitable for implementation within Nigeria’s education system.

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

• Inception report containing the methodology, workplan and timeline.
• Report from national and zonal stakeholder consultations.
• First draft of the National Foundational Learning Policy.
• Revised second draft of the policy.
• National stakeholder consultation report.
• Third draft of the policy.
• Validation workshop report.
• Final edited and formatted Foundational Learning Policy.
• Supporting implementation and guidance documents.
• Relevant knowledge-management products.

Payments will be made following the satisfactory submission and acceptance of the agreed deliverables. UNICEF may withhold payment where deliverables do not meet the required standard or are submitted late.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Advanced university degree, equivalent to a Master’s degree or higher, in Education Development, Foundational Learning, Sustainable Development, Education Policy, Teacher Training, International Relations or another related field.
• Minimum of eight years of professional experience improving education and learning quality.
• Strong knowledge of current global education issues and recognised good practices.
• Proven experience supporting government-led education reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa or a context similar to Nigeria.
• Experience developing or improving curriculum and learning materials.
• Experience supporting teacher professional development and quality teaching practices.
• Experience designing and scaling approaches that improve foundational literacy and numeracy.
• Experience developing and implementing curriculum-aligned learning content for basic education.
• Experience supporting education-sector planning, strategy development and out-of-school programming.
• Strong knowledge of the foundational learning landscape in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Knowledge of Nigeria’s foundational learning and education context is highly desirable.
• Experience working with United Nations agencies or international development organisations is an advantage.
• Familiarity with competency-based education standards and instructional design in low-resource or multilingual environments.
• Knowledge of Nigeria’s political landscape and recent developments in the education sector is desirable.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Strong education policy-development and strategic-planning skills.
• Excellent understanding of foundational literacy and numeracy.
• Strong research, analysis and technical-writing skills.
• Ability to translate research and evidence into practical policy recommendations.
• Strong consultation, facilitation and stakeholder-engagement skills.
• Ability to work effectively with federal and state government institutions.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to communicate sensitive or complex information to diverse audiences.
• Strong knowledge of curriculum, teacher development and instructional design.
• Ability to present ideas clearly and concisely.
• Ability to provide practical and evidence-based technical advice.
• Ability to work within tight deadlines and adjust to the needs of government and UNICEF.
• Strong organisational and report-writing skills.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

Applicants must submit:

• An updated UNICEF Talent Management System profile.
• A current CV.
• A cover letter.
• A separate financial proposal using the official UNICEF financial proposal template.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested and qualified candidates should complete their applications through the official UNICEF recruitment portal using the application link provided above.

Applicants should ensure that their online profile is complete and that all required documents are uploaded before submitting the application.

UNICEF does not charge any application, processing, assessment, interview, recruitment, appointment or training fee. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage.

Application Deadline: 28 July 2026.