Consultant for the Development of Foundational Learning Policy and Implementation Plan, International Applicants Only

ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND

Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education has requested UNICEF’s assistance in developing a national Foundational Learning Policy and implementation guidelines.

The assignment will build on identified gaps in Nigeria’s foundational-learning landscape and available evidence concerning implementation across the states. It will also support work with federal and state authorities to map non-formal learning centres.

ROLE PURPOSE

Under the overall supervision of UNICEF’s Chief of Education and direct supervision of the Education Manager for Learning, the consultant will lead and support the Federal Ministry of Education and its agencies in developing the Foundational Learning Policy and corresponding implementation guidance.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the development of Nigeria’s Foundational Learning Policy.
• Develop practical implementation guidelines for the policy.
• Work with the Federal Ministry of Education and relevant agencies throughout the policy-development process.
• Review evidence, identified gaps and current practices affecting foundational literacy and numeracy.
• Support consultation and coordination with federal authorities, state governments and education partners.
• Contribute to mapping the number and locations of non-formal learning centres.
• Ensure policy recommendations reflect evidence concerning curriculum, teaching materials, teacher development, pedagogy and learning quality.
• Provide concise, practical and evidence-based advice to government and UNICEF.
• Complete the deliverables and activities contained in UNICEF’s detailed terms of reference.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Advanced university degree, at master’s level or higher, in Education Development, Foundational Learning, Sustainable Development, Education Policy, Teacher Training, International Relations or a related discipline.
• At least eight years of experience improving learning quality.
• Experience concerning curriculum or learning-material development, teacher professional development, quality pedagogy or teaching and learning approaches in basic education.
• Experience supporting government-led education reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa or a context comparable to Nigeria.
• Demonstrable experience developing, implementing and scaling effective approaches for improving learning quality.
• Experience developing and introducing curriculum-aligned content for foundational literacy and numeracy.
• Strong working knowledge of contemporary global education issues and good practices.
• Fluency in English.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Education-sector planning and strategy development.
• Expertise in out-of-school education programming in Nigeria or a comparable context.
• Knowledge of foundational-learning systems in Sub-Saharan Africa, preferably including Nigeria.
• Familiarity with competency-based education standards.
• Instructional design experience in low-resource or multilingual environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Ability to translate evidence for government and other stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate effectively about sensitive issues.
• Strong policy and technical writing.
• Ability to meet tight timeframes and adapt to government and UNICEF requirements.

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

• Knowledge of Nigeria’s political environment and recent education-sector developments.
• Familiarity with Nigeria’s education system.
• Experience working with UN agencies or international development organizations.
• Understanding of UNICEF’s programme areas.

CONTRACT DETAILS

• Contract type: International consultancy.
• Contract duration: Six months.
• Working arrangement: Office-based.
• Duty station: Abuja.
• Reference number: 594660.
• Salary or consultancy fee: Not specified. Applicants must submit a financial proposal.
• Advertised: 22 July 2026.

SAFEGUARDING AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

UNICEF promotes diversity and welcomes qualified applicants irrespective of gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability, neurodivergence or other personal status. Reasonable accommodation is available during recruitment.

UNICEF has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. Selected candidates undergo reference, academic and employment-history checks.

UNICEF does not charge application or recruitment fees and will not request applicants’ bank-account information during recruitment.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Applicants must apply through UNICEF’s Talent Management System and submit:

• An updated UNICEF profile and CV.
• A cover letter.
• A separate financial proposal using the template attached to the official vacancy.