General
Description of assignment title: Programme Assistant in Gender and Human Rights
Assignment country: Nigeria
Expected start date: 10/20/2025
Sustainable Development Goal: 10. Reduced inequalities
Volunteer category: International UN Youth Volunteer
Host entity: UNDP
Type: Onsite
Duration: 12 months
(with possibility of extension)
Number of assignments: 1
Duty stations: Abuja
Details
Mission and objectives
UNDP is the United Nations largest agency with a mandate to eradicate poverty, through sustainable and inclusive human development. UNDP has been in Nigeria since the country became independent in 1960 providing capacity building and policy development support to the Federal Government of Nigeria in areas of Governance & Peace Building, Inclusive growth, and Sustainable Development.
UNDP continues to support the government in the implementation of development interventions aimed at meeting medium to long term goals enshrined in National and Subnational development plans as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. The goal of UNDP is to improve the lives of the people of Nigeria, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, and to ensure a future that offers equality, dignity, and opportunity for all. UNDP works in partnership with the federal Government of Nigeria, development partners, UN agencies, civil society and local communities to help identify local solutions to meet global and national development challenges through a range of interventions that combine UNDP’s expertise and comparative advantage in the areas of Governance & Peace Building, Inclusive growth and Sustainable Development.
Context
The UNDP Gender and Human Rights Unit is configured to respond to Nigeria’s challenges in the area of gender equality and women empowerment. The commitment of the Nigerian government to address these issues is affirmed in the Vision 20:2020 and the Transformation Agenda of the Government. These priorities are being addressed in the 7th Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and UNDP (2009-2013). They have also been confirmed by the Common Country Assessment for Nigeria within the current United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). The policy thrust includes improving governance, security, law and order; consolidating the democratic process; engendering more efficient and effective use of resources; addressing the root causes of corruption and strengthening accountability and transparency in governance. This UNV assignment is part of the UNDP Nigeria Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Initiative to eliminate violence against women and girls. The Initiative is focused on promoting the empowerment of women and girls who are survivors of gender-based violence. The Initiative is so named as it brings focused attention to the issue, moving it into the spotlight and placing it at the centre of efforts to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Task description
Under the direct supervision of the Programme Manager, Gender and Human Rights, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: i. Support the Gender and Human Rights programming unit with the implementation of the project’s activities in accordance with the annual work plan and towards achieving the project outputs and outcomes.
- Assist with regular follow up with national experts and consultants and civil society groups or think tanks involved in the implementation of project activities, including revision of their deliverables and results.
iii. Participate in providing support to UNDP implementing partners/responsible parties,
carrying specific activities within the project.
- Give inputs to quarterly progress reports and contribute to the drafting of annual and bi-annual project reports.
- Support the Project team to prepare and organize workshops, training and meetings with partners and key stakeholders.
- Assist in the documentation and reporting on programme activities, writing meeting minutes, mission and training reports
vii. Support research to inform preparation of talking points, concept notes and other documentation viii. Support the development of news stories and briefs for the website and newsletters, and the production of advocacy materials
viii. Assist the UNDP Country Office (CO) in developing a Gender Equality Strategy, and provide support to mainstream gender in projects across all units in the CO. Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.
Eligibility criteria
Age: 18 – 80
Required experience
1 month
Donor priorities
.
Nationality
Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.
Additional eligibility criteria
This assignment is funded by the Government of Sweden and therefore specific criteria apply: ELIGIBILITY
– Candidates must be Swedish nationals, fluency in Swedish is required
– Candidates must be between 18 and 29 years of age at the time of application.
– Candidates who already served on a UN Volunteer assignment funded by the Government of Sweden are not eligible.
APPLICATION
– You may apply to a maximum of three assignments and indicate the order of preference in the ‘Additional remarks’ field when filling in the application form.
– Application deadline: 29 June 2025.
SELECTION
– Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The selection will be conducted by the UN Host Entity in the country of assignment. Interviews are scheduled to take place in July.
MANDATORY TRAINING IN SWEDEN
Before deployment, selected candidates must attend a mandatory preparation training in Sweden, organized by Sida. The training will take place from 13 to 17 October.
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Assignment requirements
Relevant experience
No experience required
Languages
English, Level: Fluent, Required
Required education level
Bachelor degree or equivalent in Development studies, conflict Studies, Security Studies, Gender Studies, Human Rights, or other related field with top tier grade.
Competencies and values
☒ Adaptability and Flexibility
☒ Building Trust
☒ Client Orientation
☒ Commitment and Motivation
☒ Commitment to Continuous Learning
☒ Communication
☒ Creativity
Skills and experience
Demonstrated interest and/or experience in Human Rights, Gender, and Development, including project management in development.
Area(s) of expertise
Development programmes, Community development, Social work
Driving license
–
Other information
Living conditions and remarks
Visa process: Volunteers are responsible for applying for an STR visa in their country with supporting documentation from the recruiting UN Agency and the visa is regularised upon arrival of the volunteer at the duty station. The process lasts between a few weeks to three months.
The assignment will take place in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, which is the capital city of Nigeria. Abuja is classified as a C duty station, reflecting moderate living conditions with essential amenities available. As the political and administrative center of Nigeria, Abuja is home to government institutions, embassies, and international organizations. The city is well-planned, featuring good road networks, modern infrastructure, and relatively stable electricity and water supply compared to other parts of the country. Abuja offers various housing options, ranging from apartments to houses, and residents have access to a variety of supermarkets, restaurants, and recreational facilities. Nigeria, with a population of approximately 184 million people, is the most populous country in Africa, accounting for 47% of West Africa’s population. It is home to one of the largest youth populations globally. Nigeria is a political federation consisting of 36 autonomous states and a multi-ethnic and culturally diverse society. With its abundance of natural resources, Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil exporter and holds the continent’s largest natural gas reserves. The country is inhabited by over 500 ethnic groups, including the Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba—the three largest groups—and over 500 languages are spoken. English is the official language.
International job opportunities
Despite its resources, Nigeria faces significant challenges, including terrorist threats in the northeast, inter-communal violence across the middle belt, and insurgency in the Delta region. Underlying these security issues are high levels of poverty, unemployment, a growing population of frustrated youth, and environmental challenges such as the degradation of natural resources and climate stressors. In Abuja, the primary security concern is terrorism, along with general crime. UN staff are advised to reside only in assessed hotels, the list of which is available through Agency Security Focal Points.The currency used in Nigeria is the Nigerian Naira (currency code NGN, symbol ₦). As this is an international UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging their own housing and other living essentials.
Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements
Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy
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More Information
- Job City Abuja
