National Consultant - Social Protection (Social Registry) at United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: National Consultant - Social Protection (Social Registry)

Job ID: 582780
Location: Abuja (FCT)
Contract type: Consultant (11 Months)
Duty Station: Abuja
Categories: Social Policy
Level: Consultancy

Background

• Social protection is increasingly recognized as a fundamental driver of inclusive economic growth and sustainable development In Nigeria. Despite significant policy commitments and ongoing efforts, effective social protection coverage remains limited, reaching only 14.8% of the population.
• Government-led programs often face challenges related to weak targeting mechanisms and identification issues, largely stemming from inadequate data systems and limited administrative capacity.
• Persistent challenges hinder the implementation and effectiveness of social protection programs nationwide.
• These include limited coverage, insufficient funding, and fragmented coordination among government agencies, resulting in low population coverage, particularly among poor and vulnerable children, women, and their families.

How can you make a difference? 
Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

• To address these critical gaps and enhance the system’s responsiveness to shocks, a new project jointly implemented by UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO) with funding from the European Union was launched in 2024.
• This EU-UN Joint Programme (EU-UN JP) titled "Supporting Sustainable Social Protection System in Nigeria (SUSI)” aims to strengthen Nigeria’s social protection system at both federal and state levels (Abia, Benue, Oyo, and Sokoto).
• The project aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda and the Federal Government’s Eight-Point Agenda and is anchored in Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021–2025) and the revised National Social Protection Policy.

Specifically, the EU-UN JP will focus on:

• Expanding and strengthening the National Social Register (NSR) to include a greater number of poor and vulnerable populations.
• Building the capacity of government staff and policymakers at national and sub-national levels in social protection systems and delivery.
• Developing a robust policy and legal framework, including the drafting of a national social protection bill for legislative consideration.
• Enhancing the Social Protection Management Information System (SP-MIS) to ensure interoperability across key sectors such as health and education.
• The purpose of this assignment is to provide technical and operational support to NASSCO/SOCU on expanding and strengthening the National Social Register (NSR) with field activities in 4 states (Abia, Benue, Sokoto, Oyo).

Scope of Work:

• The Consultant will work under the supervision of Social Policy Manager and in close collaboration with NASSCO, SOCUs and relevant stakeholders at federal and state levels. The key responsibilities include:
• Technical Support for Enumeration and Data Collection:
  • Provide technical assistance to SOCUs in developing enumeration plans, including household listing, community targeting, and data collection workflows.
  • Support training and capacity-building activities for SOCU enumerators, supervisors, and data validators on standardized tools and protocols.
  • Monitor field-level enumeration and data collection activities in selected states to ensure adherence to NSR guidelines and quality standards.
• Operational Coordination and Planning:
  • Assist in the development and implementation of state-level micro plans for NSR expansion, including logistics, timelines, and human resource planning.
  • Facilitate coordination between NASSCO, SOCUs, and local government authorities to ensure smooth implementation of enumeration activities.
  • Support documentation of implementation progress, challenges, and lessons learned at both federal and state levels.
• Quality Assurance and Data Integrity
  • Support field visits and validation exercises to assess data quality and consistency.
  • Review and analyze enumeration reports and data outputs from SOCUs, identifying gaps and recommending corrective actions.
• Strengthening Inclusion and Shock responsiveness
  • Implement strategies to enhance inclusion of marginalized and hard-to-reach communities /WARDs in the registry (e.g., persons with disabilities, displaced populations).
  • Support initial assessments for integration of shock-responsive modules or temporary registries where applicable.
• Reporting and Knowledge Sharing
  • Prepare monthly progress updates, technical briefs, and end-of-assignment reports highlighting achievements, bottlenecks, and policy recommendations.
  • Document good practices and innovations from states implementing successful registry expansion strategies.

Work Assignment Overview
Task / Milestone:

• Finalize implementation plan with NASSCO/SOCU on the NSR expansion in 4 states, including timeline, key milestones and targets

Deliverables / Outputs:

• Implementation plan with NASSCO/SOCU

Task / Milestone:

• Establish implementation processes for the NSR expansion with NASSCO/SOCU

Deliverables / Outputs:

• Organigram and roles/responsibilities allocation matrix

Task / Milestone:

• Develop and agree with NASSCO/SOCU asset management guidelines for data collection equipment

Deliverables / Outputs:

• Asset management guidelines

Task / Milestone:

• Support implementation of poverty mapping with NASSCO/SOCU

Deliverables / Outputs:

• Poverty mapping report per state

Minimum requirements:

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in Social Policy, Economics, Statistics, Public Administration, Development Studies, Demography, or a related field from a recognized institution.
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in the design, implementation, or monitoring of social protection programs, poverty reduction, or community-based targeting mechanisms.
• Proven experience in supporting social registry development, large-scale household data collection, or community enumeration exercises.
• Demonstrated experience in working with government institutions, especially at federal and subnational levels, and familiarity with national social protection systems and structures such as NASSCO and SOCUs.
• Experience providing technical assistance and conducting capacity-building activities for data collection teams or local officials is an asset.
• Familiarity with shock-responsive social protection systems, social registries, cash transfer programs, and inter-agency coordination mechanisms is highly desirable.
• Experience working with international development partners (e.g., UN, World Bank, EU, bilateral donors) on social protection or humanitarian-development nexus programming is a strong asset.

Application Closing Date
13th August, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online