Communications Officer

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

Insecurity in the North-West (NW) region of Nigeria – especially Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto is characterized by a complex blend of communal conflicts, farmer-herder conflict, armed banditry and organized crime. These conflict drivers are further amplified by demographic pressure, relative deprivation, perceptions of economic exclusion and climate-induced risks. While numerous peace agreements and amnesties including in Sokoto and Zamfara provided some short-term stability, violence that resurged in the North-West, especially in 2020 poses a significant stability risk to the region and country as a whole. The conflict – and especially the bandit phenomenon in the North-West is also rooted in the degraded socio-economic and political context. The adverse effects of climate change on natural resource availability and scarcity have been identified among the root causes of the conflict. The violent conflict has altered the local coping capacities of the rural communities to deal with climatic risks affecting their livelihoods, creating a vicious cycle where natural disasters hit harder, aggravating existing tensions and leading to new conflicts.

UNDP is engaged in the Northwest of Nigeria through an integrated conflict prevention program comprising of three interrelated projects.

Firstly, the “Strengthening Local And State Level Peace Architectures For Peacebuilding and Prevention in Katsina and Kaduna States of North West Nigeria Project” The inter-agency project is implemented jointly by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women and International Organisation for Migration (IOM), with UNDP being the coordinating agency. Additionally, UNDP has entered into an UN-to-UN agreement with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR).

Secondly, to foster resilience against climate and security risks, the North West Climate-Peace Hubs: A Climate Security Approach to Conflict Prevention project, with funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will through a conflict-sensitive manner contribute towards: 1) improved access to data supporting decision-making for anticipatory actions to climate and conflict risks, 2) increased access conflict sensitive and climate resilient livelihoods and green jobs and 3) strengthened systems and practices for communal management of natural resources. The project pilot states are Katsina and Sokoto, with focus on borderland areas.

Thirdly, the Preventative Action Facility funded by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs catalyses timely, collaborative, and decisive, State led, cross-state and cross-border prevention efforts to the front-line states of Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina. The aim is to prevent the region from descending into loss of governance control over large swaths of territory, a possible humanitarian crisis and a new foothold for regional violent extremist actors with grave implications to Nigeria’s security.

Therefore, UNDP is seeking to hire a Communications Officer to provide technical guidance and support to the three projects that are interrelated and mutually supplementary, and wider engagement of the various stakeholders, including the Government, Private Sector, Academia, Civil Society, Media and the public.

Under the direct supervision and guidance of the Public Engagement, Outreach, and Partnerships Lead, the Communications Officer is expected to boost visibility and overall cooperation opportunities in the North-West through utilization of innovative communications approaches that enhance the positioning UNDP Nigeria as a premier development thought leader in ways that boost visibility and overall business opportunities in the North-West. Some of the tasks expected to be undertaken by the Communications Officer include;

 Planning and design of strategies for internal and external communications and outreach in the North West programme. • Preparation and conduct of communications needs assessments • Draft the North West programme communications strategy. • Analysis of requirements and synthesis of proposals on ways to integrate advocacy and communications strategies into UNDP’s programme development and implementation.

 Implementation of communications that includes publications, audio-visual knowledge products and work plans in the North West programme.

• Identification of storylines for publications and drafting of substantive articles. • Coordination with communications solutions agencies (creative agencies, filmmakers and radio content production agencies, PR agencies, media agencies, design studios for creative outputs), for scheduling of tasks and execution according to timelines and plans. Review and processing of product development up to completion stage. • Coordination with team members for timely effective implementation of media plans, collation and document feedback on impact-oriented success stories.

 Facilitation of knowledge building and sharing in the North West programme. • Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned. • Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice including corporate communications repositories. • Provide writing, editorial and design support for communication and public information needs and outreach-oriented reports and documents.  Any other tasks as assigned

 Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and Integrity
 Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment  Self-development, initiative-taking  Acting as a team player and facilitating teamwork  Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the communication team and Sokoto field team, communicating effectively  Managing conflict  Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others.  Informed and transparent decision-making

• public relations • communications • advocacy • usage of computers and office software packages • handling of web-based management systems. P • post conflict environment with knowledge of socio-economic, culture, and community development issues in complex crisis situations is an advantage. • diverse projects – in complex environments, involving multi-disciplinary teams, broad ranges of stakeholders, and within volatile security situations – is preferred. • working with UNDP and other UN agencies is preferred.

Nigeria is a unique country and UNDP is a unique (humanitarian) operation. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential.

Nigeria is a unique country, and it provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.