Regional and Urban Planner

Result of ServiceAt the federal/regional scale, the Action will support, in coordination with the concerned States, strategic spatial planning for the whole Northern Nigeria as well as the establishment of a spatial monitoring system to enable rapid decision-making and better planning of key investments based on observed populations’ dynamics, which are exacerbated by internal displacement. Work LocationHOME BASED Expected duration6 MONTHS Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground and justification The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the agency for human settlements mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. UN-Habitat has been working in human settlements throughout the world, focusing on building a brighter future for villages, towns, and cities of all sizes. Internal displacement in Nigeria is a multi-faceted challenge impacting Nigeria’s development ambitions. Displacement has lasted for decades in the North-East and is increasingly impacting the North-West and is now emerging in the North Central region. 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 inadequate resilience-building and coping capacities, issues with status perception, 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. Since 2022, UN-Habitat in partnership with UNDP, have conducted a spatial study analysing the demographic and urban vulnerabilities and capacities of communities across the Sahel. The Sahel belt of Nigeria cuts across the twelve (12) States of the North-West and North-East (Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Yobe, Gombe, Borno and Adamawa). Funded by the Government of Sweden, the collaboration led to the first draft of the Spatial Development Strategy for the Sahel (SDSS). Kano State, one of Nigeria's largest industrial and commercial hubs, experiences a significant influx of displaced and irregular migrant populations, contributing to its informal growth. Kano jointly with Katsina and several secondary and tertiary settlements constitute a ramified conurbation that expands up to the border with Niger and beyond. One of the State's priorities is to focus on multi-sectoral capacity building, including improving urban governance systems and policies to address the spillover effects from the neighbouring States and strategically manage the challenges of displacement, migration, and urbanization, especially given Kano's metropolitan status. UN-Habitat jointly with IOM and UNHCR have developed a Joint Programme targeting Adamawa, Kano and Yobe States in Northern Nigeria to enable durable solutions through local integration in urban and urbanising areas by adopting a multi-scale, integrated and area-based territorial approach for displaced communities, host communities and local authorities affected by the conflicts. At the federal/regional scale, the Action will support, in coordination with the concerned States, strategic spatial planning for the whole Northern Nigeria as well as the establishment of a spatial monitoring system to enable rapid decision-making and better planning of key investments based on observed populations’ dynamics, which are exacerbated by internal displacement. Activities and Responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the Senior Human Settlement Officer for West Africa (SHSO), and under the direct supervision of the Senior Urban and Regional Planner, the consultant will carry out the following duties and responsibilities: - Support the preparation of two (2) Spatial Development Strategies (SDS) for Kano and Yobe States in terms of data analysis and drafting of contents. - Use the work done in Northern Nigeria to improve and finalise the Spatial Development Framework (SDF) guidelines, including the development of support materials related to these guidelines. - Based on the SDSS, facilitate the preparation of the draft Strategic Spatial Action Plan (SSAP) for the Kano-Agadez transboundary corridor, including by facilitating the organization of consultative workshops with technical experts. Qualifications/special skillsMaster’s degree in urban design, architecture, environmental studies, sustainable development or equivalent is required. At least 5 years of experience working in architecture, urban planning, project management, social science or related fields is required. Experience working with the concepts of urban resilience and regional planning is required. LanguagesProficiency in oral and written English is required. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.