Programme Associate (2 positions)

Project Title: Sustainable Urban Integration of Displaced Populations in Northern Nigeria (SIDPIN)

Job Title: Programme Associate (2 positions)

Level: Local individual contract agreement (LICA)

Duration: 12 Months, with the possibility of extension

Starting Date: Upon contract signature

Department/Office: UN-Habitat Programme Support Office (HAPSO), Nigeria

Duty Station: Yola, Adamawa State; or Damaturu, Yobe State (2 positions, one for each)

Background

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the agency for human settlements mandated by the General Assembly and working towards a better urban future with a mission of promoting socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. In line with its mandate, UN-Habitat works to strengthen mechanisms in the country that integrate commitments and actions concerning the provision of adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements development into policies, programmes and operations.

Internal displacement in Nigeria is a multi-faceted, complex and protracted crisis that has lasted for over a decade in the North-East and most recently in the North-West with the effects trickling down to the North-Central with increasing complexities and urbanization pressure. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) According to the IOM’s DTM Round 46 report, a total of 2,305,335 people (472,239 households) are recorded as internally displaced across North-East Nigeria, while IOM’s DTM North Central and North-West Displacement Report Round 13 of March 2024, indicates that a total of 1,092,196 individuals are displaced across Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa, Plateau, Sokoto, and Zamfara States.

In the North-East, up to 40% (929,453 individuals) of IDPs reside in camps and camp-like settings, while 60% (1,375,882 individuals) reside in host communities. The ongoing insurgency in North-East Nigeria is widely reported as the main driver of displacement, followed by communal clashes, natural disasters (mainly flooding and drought), and farmers-herders conflicts. These clashes involve confrontations between ethnic and religious groups, often triggered by land and border issues, shrinking access to natural resources, and increasing tensions between herder communities and sedentary farmers aside from other drivers.

While the contexts and drivers of population movement - including displacement and urbanisation – differ between the North-East, North-West to the North-Central the challenges faced remain similar. These include lacking resilience and coping capacities, issues with dire poverty and vulnerability status of IDPs, perception of host communities towards IDPs, and gaps in the fulfilment and protection of human rights. Additionally, the coexistence of host communities and IDPs remains contentious, particularly concerning their rights to access land, livelihoods, and basic and social services. In the North-West, displacement is characterised by inter-regional and inter-communal conflict, compounded by the impacts of climate change, limited access to basic services and natural resources, and long-standing tensions between ethnic and religious groups which often result in attacks and banditry.

This position is opened within the framework of the Joint Programme called “Sustainable Urban Integration of Displaced Populations in Northern Nigeria (SIDPIN)”, with IOM and UNHCR with funding from the European Commission in Kano, Adamawa and Yobe States in the Northern part of Nigeria, to catalyse but also complement ongoing response to the complex crisis, migration and urbanization in the country. The project aims to enable durable solutions through local integration in urban and urbanizing areas by adopting a multi-scale, integrated and area-based territorial approach for displaced communities, with a specific focus on women and children, and fostering conditions for sustainability, replication and scaling-up.

To coordinate the work at the different states, a Senior Technical Advisor (STA) will be posted in the corresponding capital cities. The STA will count on the support of the Programme Associate subject of this Terms of Reference.

Organizational Setting and Reporting Relationships: This position is located within the Regional Office for Africa of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and is coordinated by the West Africa Sub-Regional Hub in Dakar, Senegal. This position includes two posts: one in Damaturu, Yobe State; and another one in Yola, Adamawa State. The position reports directly to the Senior Technical Advisor based in Yola and Damaturu, with the assistance of the Senior Technical Advisor Coordinating the Northern States from Kano and International Technical Advisor based in Abuja, and with overall coordination from West Africa Hub in Dakar/Senegal and updating of HAPSO-Abuja.

Task and Responsibilities

The focus of this position is to support the delivery of UN-Habitat Outputs in the corresponding State (Yola or Adamawa) through the implementation and monitoring of the joint programme for the Sustainable Urban Integration of Displaced Populations in Northern Nigeria (SIDPIN) project as the Lead Agency.

The Programme Associate will be responsible for the following:

Qualifications/Experience/Skills

Qualifications

University B.Sc. degree in fields related to territorial and urban planning, geography, urban design, or related studies. Professional certifications/ licenses from recognised bodies, e.g. NITP, TOPREC, NREP, etc.

Experience

Languages

Skills

Competencies

Skills: Leadership: It is able to effectively coordinate and organize multidisciplinary work teams, fostering an adequate working environment; guides others to motivate and induce them to reach the expected goals and objectives; gives an example of ethics and commitment through their fulfilment; contributes to ideas, decisions and activities; takes the initiative, expresses creative ideas and allows everyone to express themselves by taking into account their views; it provides facilities for its collaborators to know what needs to be done and how to do it and provides effective feedback to help learn new procedures.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets their messages, and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; adapts language, tone, style and format to audiences; demonstrates openness in the exchange of information and in keeping people informed.

Teamwork: Works in collaboration with colleagues to achieve the organization's goals; request contributions and value the ideas and experience of others; is willing to learn from others; puts your team's interests before personal interests; supports and acts in accordance with the group's final decision, even if such decisions do not fully reflect their position; shares credit for the team's achievements and accepts joint responsibility for team deficiencies.

Professionalism: Knowledge of internal policies, processes and procedures in general and in particular those related to the administration, implementation and evaluation of programmes/projects; the ability to conduct independent research and analysis, formulate options and present conclusions and recommendations; takes possession of all responsibilities and honours commitments, supports its task team, supervises and assumes responsibility for delegated tasks; works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve the organization's goals; has the capacity to apply good judgment in the context of assigned tasks; shows pride in work and achievement; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of the subject; is aware and efficient in meeting commitments, respecting deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional and non-personal concerns; shows persistence in the face of difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations; capacity for mediation and negotiation.

Application instructions:

Applications should be submitted through e-mail and must include the following documents:

https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=110298

All applications should be submitted to: hapso.nigeria@undp.org with copy to Elizabeth Owolabi (elizabeth.owolabi@un.org) and Evandro Holz (evandro.holz@un.org)

UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.