National Consultant to develop a National Fecal Sludge Management Framework, 4 Months, Abuja Nigeria

UNICEF, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, works together with partners in 190 countries and territories to promote and advocate for the protection of the rights of every child.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, a chance

In Nigeria, UNICEF works in a complex humanitarian and development setting to fulfill and protect children’s rights in partnership with the government, civil society, children, and families. UNICEF Nigeria is one of the largest UNICEF Country Offices globally – click the link to learn more about UNICEF in Nigeria: https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/

Background:

Nigeria faces significant challenges in providing safely managed sanitation services (SMS) for its population of over 210 million. According to the 2021 WASH National Outcome Routine Monitoring (WASH NORM) survey, only 18% of Nigerians currently have access to SMS and only 4.7% households have access to sewer systems, highlighting the urgent need for effective fecal sludge management (FSM). Most Nigerians rely on onsite sanitation facilities (pit latrines, septic tanks), and fecal sludge is often dumped without proper treatment, leading to environmental pollution, water contamination, and increased disease risks. Sanitation workers frequently operate without protective equipment, risking exposure to harmful pathogens and severe health consequences.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

This consultancy aims to assist the Federal Government of Nigeria, specifically the Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEnv) and its relevant agencies, in developing a comprehensive National Institutional andRegulatory Framework for FSM. The consultant will work closely with FMEnv, NESREA, State Environmental Protection Agencies (SEPAs), and in close collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources & Sanitation (FMWRS), Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), local governments, private sector stakeholders, and development partners.

The Framework will explicitly focus on:

• Establishing clear and enforceable regulatory guidelines and standards for fecal sludge management applicable to both urban and rural sanitation systems.
• Clarifying and defining institutional roles, mandates, responsibilities, and coordination mechanisms among FMEnv, NESREA, SEPAs, and other relevant MDAs.
• Developing robust compliance and enforcement protocols to ensure adherence to FSM regulations across the sanitation service chain.
• Aligning national and state-level FSM regulatory practices to ensure consistency, reduce fragmentation, and strengthen governance.

Key Tasks:

1. Conduct a detailed situational analysis of existing FSM-related policies, regulations, and institutional roles at federal and state levels.
2. Undertake stakeholder consultations with federal, state, and local entities to gather inputs, build consensus, and validate the institutional and regulatory proposals.
3. Draft the National FSM Institutional and Regulatory Framework clearly specifying regulatory guidelines, institutional responsibilities, enforcement procedures, and coordination mechanisms, accompanied by high-level guidance on technical standards and compliance measures.
4. Prepare an actionable implementation roadmap with clear timelines, roles, responsibilities, and milestones for adopting and operationalizing the Institutional and Regulatory Framework.
5. Support the national dissemination and advocacy efforts for effective adoption and implementation of the finalized FSM Institutional and Regulatory Framework.

Expected Impact on Nigeria’s Environment and Sanitation Sectors:

• Establishment of a clear regulatory and institutional governance structure that significantly enhances environmental protection, sanitation service oversight, and accountability.
• Clarified roles and streamlined coordination among federal, state, and local authorities, effectively eliminating institutional overlaps and strengthening compliance across states.
• Creation of standardized regulations and institutional templates, providing states with clear guidance for developing or refining their own FSM frameworks and policies.
• Formalization and regulation of private sector participation in FSM services, leading to improved sanitation service coverage and efficiency.
• Alignment of national regulations with global best practices and international standards, specifically tailored to Nigeria’s institutional and regulatory context.

How can you make a difference?

Scope of Work

The consultant will support the FMEnv, its agencies (including NESREA and SEPA), UNICEF, and stakeholders to develop a National Institutional and Regulatory for FSM in Nigeria. This framework will define regulatory responsibilities, institutional roles, regulatory oversight and high-level compliance standards for emptying, transport, treatment, and safe reuse/disposal of fecal sludge, coordination mechanisms, compliance guidelines and monitoring, addressing both urban and rural FSM contexts.

Key Assignments

1.Inception Workshop and Report:

• Conduct inception meeting with FMEnv, NESREA, Environmental Protection Board, FMWRS, FMoH, development partners and other relevant stakeholders to agree on expectations and deliverables.
• Prepare an inception report clearly outlining agreed objectives, deliverables, methodology, detailed workplan, and a preliminary structure for the National FSM Institutional and Regulatory Framework.

2.Desk Review:

• Conduct an in-depth review of existing national and state-level sanitation policies, FSM regulations, institutional structures, guidelines, and strategies.
• Analyze global, regional, and sub-national best practices (including the Bauchi FSM guidelines) to inform institutional arrangements, regulatory approaches, standard-setting practices, and coordination mechanisms.

3. Federal-Level Stakeholder Consultations:

• Lead consultations and meetings with key federal stakeholders including FMEnv, NESREA, FMWRS, FMoH, Agriculture, Urban Development, key state agency representatives, donor partners, NGOs, and private-sector associations.
• Identify and document institutional and regulatory gaps, bottlenecks, challenges, and opportunities within the existing FSM system.
• Collect detailed recommendations for institutional roles, regulatory enhancements, compliance mechanisms, and coordination structures.

4. State-Level Consultations and Field Visits:

• Conduct stakeholder consultations in strategically selected states covering the different geopolitical zones, capturing both urban and rural FSM practices.
• Engage stakeholders including state ministries responsible for environment and water, State EPAs, RUWASSAs, LGAs, utilities, private FSM operators, sanitation workers, and community representatives.
• Collect data and document the current FSM institutional structures, local regulatory practices, compliance challenges, existing enforcement mechanisms, and institutional innovations or best practices at the state level.
• Prepare a consolidated Stakeholder Consultation Report clearly highlighting key findings, recommendations, and implications for the national framework.

5.Draft the National FSM Framework:

• Synthesize insights from the desk review, federal and state consultations, and identified best practices into a coherent and structured draft document.
• Clearly articulate proposed institutional roles, mandates, responsibilities, and coordination mechanisms for FSM regulation across federal, state, and local levels.
• Develop regulatory guidelines and standards for FSM licensing, compliance, enforcement, and monitoring applicable across the entire sanitation chain.
• Provide high-level complementary guidance outlining recommended technical standards, principles for private-sector engagement, and broad financing approaches aligned to the institutional and regulatory framework.
• Include a clear, actionable implementation roadmap with milestones, timelines, and recommended monitoring and accountability measures

Work Assignment Overview:

1. Initial Stakeholder Engagement and Inception Meetings:
2. Conduct initial consultations with FMEnv, UNICEF, and key stakeholders to clarify consultancy objectives and requirements.

Deliverables/ Outputs

Inception workshop conducted.

2. Workplan Development: Prepare a detailed consultancy workplan, clearly defining objectives, methodology, key activities, timelines, roles, milestones, deliverables, and a draft FSM Framework outline.

Deliverables/ Outputs

Detailed inception report submitted including comprehensive workplan, methodology, timeline, and proposed FSM Framework outline submitted and approved.

3.Desk review of existing literature, policies, institutional and regulatory frameworks at the global, national and state levels to synthesize evidence and information and inform FSM Framework development.

Deliverables/ Outputs

Synthesis report of existing policies, literature, and global best practices completed and submitted

4.Draft National FSM Framework Development: Synthesize findings and inputs to develop an initial comprehensive draft of the National FSM Framework.

Deliverables/ Outputs

Draft National FSM Framework

5.Final National FSM Institutional and Regulatory Framework:

Finalize the National FSM

Framework document based on validation inputs, including an executive summary and detailed implementation roadmap.

Deliverables/ Outputs

Final National FSM Framework with implementation roadmap (incl. executive summary)

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Waste Management, Environmental Management, Public Health, Environmental/Civil Engineering (Water and Sanitation), Urban Planning, or related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in
• in FSM, sanitation, or WASH sector planning and policy development, including experience in Nigeria or similar contexts within West Africa.
• Proven experience developing national or state-level sanitation policies, frameworks, or guidelines, and evidence of leadership in producing at least one significant sanitation-related policy document.
• Deep understanding of the FSM service chain, FSM technologies, treatment options, operational models, sanitation financing, private sector engagement, climate resilience, and safely managed sanitation.
• Proven capability in policy analysis, identifying institutional gaps, stakeholder mapping, and developing strategic, regulatory, and institutional recommendations.
• Familiarity with global best practices, international sanitation guidelines (e.g., WHO), and Nigeria’s WASH sector landscape (e.g., PEWASH, regulatory environment).
• Excellent analytical, technical writing, and policy drafting skills in English, with demonstrated ability to produce clear, concise documents.
• Strong verbal communication and workshop facilitation skills for multi-stakeholder consultations, including high-level officials and community representatives.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

To view the complete TOR, click here ToR Consultancy National FSM Framework.docx.pdf 2025.pdf

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about children’s rights and making a lasting difference on children’s lives, one of the global leading entities on children’s rights would like to hear from you.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is also proud of a diverse workforce who are profoundly committed to supporting the full realization of children’s rights, and in uplifting a rights-based approach in all that we do.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

Read Full Description