Ref.
2026/SEIHIN/14547
Job offer type
Experts
Type of contract
Service contract
Activity sectors
Social protection and decent work ; Health policy ; Financial affairs
Deadline date
2026/02/02 13:07
Duration of the assignment
Beaded expertise
Contract
Freelancer
Duration
50 jours
Short-term expert in Health Insurance Nigeria (M/W)
Département Capital humain et Développement social - CHDS > Pôle Protection sociale & Travail décent
Published on : 2026/01/07
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
NIGERIA
Mission description
This mission will focus on the second priority lever of the project. The development of a social health protection system is crucial for Nigeria, a country where health coverage remains below 5%. The current system suffers from fragmentation among the actors, the lack of stable funding mechanisms, and a government-exploded power, which undermines the effectiveness of existing mechanisms.
The federal authorities have expressed their desire to structure a more coherent and sustainable policy of social protection, inspired by international models, particularly Asian ones such as those of Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. This ambition is part of the implementation of the law on the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) of 2022, which aims to establish mandatory universal health coverage for all citizens.
As a result, the mission of the health insurance short-term expert is to:
1. Conduct an in-depth diagnostic study on the current state of the system and its funding mechanisms, including actors, skills and governance, regulatory framework, sources and structure of financing, accounting and monitoring of expenditure, care baskets, etc. The final report should be available in December 2026.
2. Conduct an international benchmark to analyse proven models in different European countries (e.g., France or federal states such as Germany, Belgium, Switzerland), Asia (e.g., Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines), and North Africa (e.g., Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia). The Nigerian authorities will select the countries during the launch phase. The final report should be available in December 2026.
3. Support the identification of partners’ needs for further support.
4. Support the organization of study visits in France with relevant institutions (e.g., CNAM, IGAS, DSS, HAS) to share good practices and experiences to feed the strategic dialogue and accompany the reflection on strengthening the health coverage system in Nigeria.
This list is not exhaustive, and the tasks and activities mentioned are not restrictive and will be further defined during a preparation mission.
Project or context description
EF in Nigeria
Expertise France (EF) operates in Nigeria within a broader regional framework, notably through its collaboration with ECOWAS. Its activities primarily involve regional or multi-country initiatives funded by the European Union and the AFD Group.
Currently, Expertise France is engaged in the implementation and development of several regional projects, including:
· EPSAO II – Support to the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture
· Abidjan-Lagos-Ouagadougou Corridor Project – Support for regional development
· SECFIN Africa – Strengthening AML/CFT systems to combat illicit financial flows in Sub-Saharan Africa
· WASOP – West Africa Sustainable Ocean Programme, promoting an innovative and sustainable blue economy
· PEERS – Africa-Europe platform for dialogue on education reforms
· TEI SRHR – Team Europe Initiative on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
· ProTECT – Preventing Trafficking through Enforcement, Cooperation and Training
· MEDISAFE2 - Mitigating the harms and threat posed by Substandard and Falsified Medical Products to Public Health and Public Security in West and Eastern Africa
In addition, the Health Department of Expertise France is launching the implementation of two national projects in Nigeria at the end of this year:
· QUALIMEDS
· FEXTE Nigeria (in collaboration with the human capital and social development (CHDS) department)
Additional national or regional projects may be launched in the coming years.
FEXTE (Fund for technical expertise and exchange of experiences)
In response to the significant public health challenges, the Nigerian government launched an ambitious health sector reform in late 2023, centred around a Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp). This reform aims to strengthen primary healthcare—particularly maternal and child health—expand universal health coverage, and redesign the financing of primary care through mechanisms such as the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF). Major international partners, including the World Bank and the Gates Foundation, are supporting this effort.
As part of this dynamic, Nigeria has expressed interest in diversifying its technical partnerships. France has been identified as a complementary partner, especially in under-addressed strategic areas such as health workforce development, pharmaceutical systems, universal health coverage, and maternal and child health.
The overall objective of FEXTE is to contribute to improving equitable access to quality, affordable, and population-responsive healthcare by supporting the reform of the Nigerian health system. The project will be implemented in close coordination with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the NHIA, and NAFDAC, under the guidance of the French Embassy and AFD Nigeria.
More specifically, the project aims to strengthen the capacities of Nigerian institutions to effectively lead, finance, and regulate their health system through four priority levers:
- Strengthening human resources for health (HRH), with a particular focus on the training of midwives;
- Structuring a sustainable, equitable, and financially viable universal health coverage (UHC) system;
- Developing a national health technology assessment (HTA) framework to inform reimbursement decisions, pricing, and pharmaceutical regulation in support of UHC;
- Enhancing healthcare service planning, especially for maternal and child health, based on a geographic and functional assessment of existing capacities, while initiating strategic reflection on hospital infrastructure needs.
Its ultimate objective is to contribute to equitable access to quality, affordable and context-appropriate healthcare, particularly for the most vulnerable populations by accompanying the reflection and dialogue between national authorities to strengthen the structuring of their health insurance system, the sharing of international best practices and operational recommendations adapted to the Nigerian context.
Required profile
Desired profile
· University Degree in Economics, Social Sciences, Health, International cooperation or other relevant diplomas
· At least 10 years’ experience in the field of social protection and health insurance systems
· Long experience and knowledge of institutional mechanisms supporting sectoral policies and institutional capacity building, governance, organization, human resources, service to beneficiaries, standardization and management.
· Proven experience of engagement in international cooperation projects with institutional partners in support to social protection reforms, preferably in Sub-Saharan or West Africa
· Computer proficiency in MS office, in particular MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook, and of messaging and videoconferencing tools
· Fluency in English (both oral and written) required
· Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills
· Proactive, autonomous, and adaptable to changing contexts
· Analytical thinking and capacity for synthesis.
· Team spirit and collaborative mind-set
· Ready to work in a multicultural environment
The following experience and skills will be considered as an asset
· A diploma from a school specializing in social protection
· Experience engaging with French national authorities in the field of social protection
· Knowledge of Asian or North African social protection systems (Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia)
· Experience engaging with international agencies and donors
Additional information
Working method
· Around 50 days of work is expected for this mission, but can be extended depending on the needs
· The working language of the project is English
· Besides face-to-face consultations with the beneficiaries during the missions in Nigeria, some work will be done remotely, both on the basis of the available documentation and by means of videoconferences
· In Abuja, the expert will be able to work in the projects’ premises and may be accompanied on their meetings with the beneficiaries either with the project coordinator and/or national experts
· The short-term expert may be solicited to participate to meetings with the French Development Agency (AFD) to discuss the project’s intervention strategy and progress
· The short-term expert may work in collaboration with the project management at EF HQ
Terms of application
- The mission should start in March 2025
- Please submit your CV and cover letter in English to Adjoua Aka-Lacquement, Project Manager at Expertise France at Adjoua.aka-lacquement@expertisefrance.fr
- Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Selection criteria for applications
The selection process for candidates will be based on the following criteria :
- Candidate’s training/skills/experience
Deadline for application : 2026/02/02 13:07
Expertise France is the public agency for designing and implementing international technical cooperation projects. The agency operates around four key priorities :
- democratic, economic, and financial governance ;
- peace, stability, and security ;
- climate, agriculture, and sustainable development ;
- health and human development ;
In these areas, Expertise France conducts capacity-building initiatives and manages project implementation, leveraging technical expertise and acting as a project coordinator. This involves combining public sector expertise with private sector skills to drive impactful results.