The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced an opportunity for a National Consultant for the Development of an Out-of-School Children (OOSC) Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan in Nigeria.
The consultancy is based in Abuja, although the assignment is home-based, and will run for 5.5 months. The position is open to Nigerian nationals with substantial experience in education sector planning, policy development and initiatives designed to improve school enrolment, retention, completion and transition.
The selected consultant will support UNICEF and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education (FME) in developing a comprehensive policy and strategy to address the country’s persistent out-of-school children challenge.
Applications close on 31 July 2026.
About the UNICEF Consultancy
Nigeria continues to face significant challenges in ensuring that all children have access to quality education. UNICEF identifies the country’s education situation as a twin crisis involving both a large population of out-of-school children and poor learning outcomes among children who attend school.
To address these challenges, the Federal Ministry of Education, through the Director of Basic Education, has requested UNICEF’s support in developing a new Out-of-School Children Policy and Strategy for Nigeria.
The assignment will build on the OOSC Framework developed in 2022, while incorporating new evidence and changes in Nigeria’s education environment since its development.
The consultant will therefore play an important role in translating evidence, policy priorities and lessons from previous interventions into a practical national framework.
Key Responsibilities
The consultant will support the development of the OOSC policy, strategy and implementation plan while working closely with government and other stakeholders.
The assignment is expected to involve:
Supporting the Federal Ministry of Education in developing the OOSC policy and strategy.
Reviewing the existing 2022 OOSC Framework.
Incorporating emerging evidence and developments into the new policy framework.
Supporting education sector planning and policy development.
Analysing factors contributing to children being out of school.
Developing approaches to improve school enrolment and participation.
Supporting strategies focused on retention and completion.
Developing approaches that improve children’s transition through the education system.
Reviewing evidence and best practices on tackling the out-of-school phenomenon.
Engaging government officials and relevant education stakeholders.
Translating research and evidence into practical policy recommendations.
Supporting the development of an actionable implementation plan.
Providing strategic advice to UNICEF and government partners.
Preparing high-quality policy and technical documents within agreed timelines.
Minimum Qualifications
Applicants must have a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline.
Acceptable areas of study include:
Education Development
Sustainable Development
Education Policy
Out-of-School Children or related fields
Teacher Training
International Relations
A related discipline
Candidates should also demonstrate strong knowledge of current global education issues and best practices.
Professional Experience
UNICEF requires candidates to have at least eight years of experience in education sector planning, including developing education plans and policy documents in Nigeria or a comparable context.
Applicants should also have proven experience supporting government-led education reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa or a similar environment.
Experience should include initiatives addressing:
School dropout
Enrolment
Student retention
Education completion
Transition between education levels
Access to education for school-aged children
This experience will be particularly relevant to the consultant’s responsibility for developing a national strategy to reduce the number of children who remain outside the formal education system.
Required Knowledge and Skills
The successful candidate should have demonstrated expertise in education sector planning and strategy development, particularly in relation to out-of-school children programming.
UNICEF is also seeking candidates with:
Strong knowledge of the education landscape in Nigeria or Sub-Saharan Africa.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Experience communicating evidence to government and other stakeholders.
Ability to address sensitive education issues professionally.
Familiarity with competency-based education standards.
Knowledge of instructional design in low-resource or multilingual environments.
Strong analytical and policy development abilities.
Excellent report-writing skills.
Ability to provide practical and evidence-based recommendations.
Desirable Experience
Additional experience that may strengthen an application includes:
Knowledge of Nigeria’s political landscape.
Understanding of recent developments in Nigeria’s education sector.
Familiarity with Nigeria’s education system.
Previous experience working with UNICEF, UN agencies or international development organizations.
Understanding of UNICEF’s programme areas.
Experience working under tight deadlines.
Ability to adapt to changing government and UNICEF priorities.
Experience presenting complex ideas concisely to different audiences.
Contract Details
Position: National Consultant for the Development of OOSC Policy, Strategy and Implementation Plan
Job Number: 594714
Organization: UNICEF
Contract Type: Consultant
Duty Station: Abuja, Nigeria
Working Arrangement: Home-based
Contract Duration: 5.5 months
Category: Education
Level: Consultancy
Eligibility: Nigerian nationals only
Documents Required
Qualified candidates are required to submit their application through UNICEF’s online recruitment system.
Applicants should prepare:
An updated UNICEF Talent Management System (TMS) profile and CV.
A cover letter.
A separate financial proposal using the UNICEF-provided template.
Candidates should ensure that their documents clearly demonstrate their experience in education policy, sector planning and programmes addressing the out-of-school children challenge.
Application Deadline
Closing Date: 31 July 2026
The vacancy was advertised by UNICEF on 24 July 2026.
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process.
UNICEF also warns applicants that it does not charge fees at any stage of recruitment or selection and will not request applicants’ bank account information.
How to Apply
Interested Nigerian professionals should apply through the official UNICEF Careers recruitment portal and review the full Terms of Reference before submitting their application.
