Logistics Assistant (Nutrition), Maiduguri, Nigeria

General

Description of assignment title: Logistics Assistant (Nutrition)

Assignment country: Nigeria

Duty stations: Maiduguri

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 12/01/2026

Duration: 6 months (with possibility of extension)

Sustainable Development Goal: 2. Zero hunger

Host entity: UNICEF

Modality: Onsite

Type: National

Volunteer category: Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives

UNICEF is responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. UNICEF Health program is designed to support national health priorities with focus on programs that will positively impact on the lives of the most disadvantaged children, such as the prevention and treatment of diseases through establishing community-level efforts and services to promote the health and well-being of children. In line with this strategy, UNICEF supports immunization and health prevention programs for childhood diseases and funding for sustainable health services. UNICEF programs have been guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), which affirms the right of all children to “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health.”

UNICEF is committed to realizing the rights of all children to help them build a strong foundation and have the best chance of fulfilling their potential. We believe that ensuring a happy and healthy child begins before birth: from ensuring his/her mother has access to good neonatal care and delivering in a clean, safe environment to reaching adulthood as a responsible, healthy and informed parent to the next generation. This journey relies on a child having access to shelter, good nutrition, clean water and sanitation, healthcare and education.

Context

UNICEF Nigeria seeks a national UN Volunteer to support the Maiduguri Field Office nutrition programming in the Borno and Yobe States.

UNICEF promotes the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy, and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means all children have a chance to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias, or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic, and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. UNICEF strives towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

In Nigeria, children and women are the most deprived of a range of rights, including the right to good nutrition, resulting in all forms of malnutrition. The latter is a consequence of complex interactions between individuals, households, and broader social and economic conditions. The First 1,000 Days of Life, from conception to two years of age, have been identified as a critical window for stunting prevention and child development, and deprivations during this critical period result in irreversible consequences. Some of the factors responsible for the high rates of chronic and acute malnutrition in the BAY states include insecurity, food insecurity, disease outbreaks, poor coverage and quality of nutrition services as well as persistent negative social norms and practices that lead to poor dietary practices for women and children. Consequently, Nigeria has the highest number of childhood malnutrition in Africa and the second highest in the world.

Ensuring that women and children have access to the optimal diets, services and practices is the focus of UNICEF Nigeria’s Country Programme Strategy (2023-2027). The strategy is focused on ensuring that Nigeria, currently off-track to attain the Sustainable Development Goal Nutrition Targets by 2030, is supported to change the current trajectory.

To support the implementation of both stunting prevention and the management of acute malnutrition interventions, nutrition commodities remain critical to field office operations across the two states. As the lead agency for nutrition, UNICEF is responsible for the planning, procurement, storage, distribution, monitoring, and reporting of nutrition commodities. In collaboration with state governments, UNICEF provides these commodities to support government- and CSO-led nutrition services at both health facility and community levels. Through these efforts, UNICEF supports the delivery of essential nutrition services for children under five years of age, adolescent girls, and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

The national UN Volunteer will support in mobilizing, assessing, planning, implementing, and monitoring of the nutrition programming. The UNV assignment is part of UNICEF’s current programme cycle, 2023-2027, that seeks to increase equitable access to and use of quality services and practices to prevent and treat malnutrition, including in emergencies. Also, the UNV Volunteer will assist with specific nutrition assignments as required

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of a designated mandated representative (s), the UNV Logistics Officer will:

• Provide technical support in nutrition programming including mobilization, assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Support in the management of nutrition commodities including field level supply tracking in coordination with NCO in Abuja and relevant MFO teams. Coordinate the receipt of government supply request forms before release orders are raised.
• Review the tripartite supply agreement with UNICEF, government and partners and ensure all partners collecting supplies form the CMS sign the agreement.
• Coordinate nutrition supplies status in MFO weekly, update RUTF diversion tracker, and participate in the Supply End User Monitoring system established at the field level.
• Conduct capacity building, supportive supervision, and mentorship of frontline nutrition staff, including monitoring of nutrition supply storage, utilization, reporting and that data is all recorded in the NHLMIS.
• Track updates provided by Third Party Monitors (TPMs) for nutrition and flagging to the Nutrition Manger emerging issues of concern from the field.
• Support nutrition situation analysis, internal and external reporting based on programming needs.
• Perform relevant nutrition tasks as required or assigned by the supervisor.
• Submit quarterly performance report.

As an active UNICEF Nigeria team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to the Nutrition Section, Government, Donors and other Stakeholders in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:

• Maintain nutrition commodities status weekly updates
• Maintain nutrition supply forecast, request, distribution, prepositioning and consumption tracker
• Maintain updated nutrition supplies misuse reporting matrix
• Maintain quarterly programme monitoring plans with recommended actions
• Capacity building implementation plan for government and CSO partners
• End of programme monitoring reports submitted
• Performance reports submitted quarterly Programme monitoring reports
• Maintain action tracker for Abuja/ Maiduguri Weekly Update Calls

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Required experience: 3 years

Nationality: Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience: 3 years

Languages: English, Level: Fluent, Desirable

Required education level: Bachelor's degree in Chartered Institute of Supplies Management (Level 2 or Level 3 or Level 4) or Nigerian Institute of Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Certification or a certification in Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management or closely related field

Competencies and values:

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others

Skills and experience: Experience in nutrition supply chain and logistics, monitoring and management.

Area(s) of expertise: Community development, Economics, poverty reduction, livelihoods, Nutrition

Driving license: -

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

Duty station is in UNICEF Maiduguri Field Office, with frequent travel to LGAs within the BAY states as needed. UN Department of Safety and Security graded Maiduguri as non-family duty station.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her 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.

Reasonable accommodation

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments 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 appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers 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 contracts.

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