Apply online

Ref.
2026/SEIHRFHFNP/14793

Job offer type
Experts

Type of contract
Service contract

Estimated budget
Initial 15 days of work spread over 6 weeks

Activity sectors
Maternal, neonatal, and children health (MNCH) ; Health systems

Sub-theme
Maternal and newborn health ; Health workforce ; Primary health care ; Nursing and midwifery

Deadline date
2026/02/23 23:55

Duration of the assignment
Beaded expertise

Contract
Freelancer

Duration
7 months

Mission description

This mission will focus on the first priority lever of the project -strengthening human resources for health (HRH), with a particular focus on the training of midwives. Maternal and child health (MCH) is a priority issue in Nigeria, with a maternal mortality rate of 512 deaths per 100,000 live births and a neonatal mortality rate of 38 per 1,000. Although progress has been made in recent years, maternal, neonatal and under-five mortality rates remain almost twice the African average and those observed in neighbouring countries. Nigeria holds the grim world record for the number of deaths of children under five. 
This situation is exacerbated by significant regional disparities. The lack of qualified personnel, including trained midwives distributed equitably across the territory, is a major structural factor in this problem. A qualitative and quantitative strengthening of this profession is therefore essential to improve the provision of maternal and neonatal care.
The overall objective is to support Nigerian stakeholders in developing a coherent and feasible strategy to strengthen midwifery capacity, performance and equitable deployment, in direct support of maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Hence, the mission of the HRH short-term expert is to:
1.    Map existing community health workforce training systems (initial and continuing) and their suitability to the needs on the ground.
2.    Determine how much current training outputs translate into effective deployment of midwives and community health workers in priority service delivery areas, particularly Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care facilities – or other international standards (WHO, UNICEF, etc.), and identify key institutional or operational bottlenecks.
3.    Conduct a training needs assessment (TNA) in training institutions (HR, curriculum, infrastructures, equipment, anatomic models, data, etc.) 
4.    Formulate concrete recommendations including options for curriculum modernization, continuous professional development, trainer strengthening, and feasible digital learning approaches.
5.    Facilitate review of findings from the assessment with stakeholders at a workshop in Abuja, Nigeria. 
Findings and recommendations from this study will then be used to develop an operational roadmap for the rest of the project. The operational roadmap should include prioritised recommendations, indicative phasing (short-/medium-term), and initial feasibility considerations to support implementation and potential scale-up. This component will be implemented in close collaboration with the authorities responsible for human resources in health (HRH), as well as with training establishments, particularly midwifery training schools. 

This list is not exhaustive, and the tasks and activities mentioned are not restrictive and will be further defined during the 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
•    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 has launched the implementation of two national projects in Nigeria:
•    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 primary care financing 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:
1.    Strengthening human resources for health (HRH), with a particular focus on the training of midwives;
2.    Structuring a sustainable, equitable, and financially viable universal health coverage (UHC) system;
3.    Developing a national health technology assessment (HTA) framework to inform reimbursement decisions, pricing, and pharmaceutical regulation in support of UHC;
4.    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 in Nigeria.

Required profile

•    University Degree in Healthcare, Public Health, Medicine, Midwifery, Nursing or other relevant diplomas
•    At least 10 years’ experience in the field of human resources for health, health workforce strengthening and capacity building
•    Deep expertise in maternal, neonatal, and child health, with specialized knowledge of midwifery best practices, training, and deployment challenges, particularly in high-mortality contexts
•    Demonstrated experience in supporting HRH policy reforms at national or sub-national level, including institutional coordination and deployment mechanisms
•    Proven competency in conducting national diagnostic studies, including mapping and evaluating existing HRH training systems (initial and continuing); identifying skills gaps, deployment obstacles, and training needs for healthcare personnel, and assessing the capacity of training institutions (equipment, trainers, content)
•    Expertise in adapting and modernizing training curricula, incorporating international recommendations, and exploring innovative educational methods, such as digitalization, e-learning, and distance learning platforms
•    Strong understanding of training systems (curricula, accreditation, CPD) and workforce deployment/retention challenges in LMICs.
•    Knowledge of international standards and successful models for strengthening the midwifery profession
•    Proven experience of engagement in international cooperation projects with institutional partners, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa
•    Experience engaging with national authorities, international agencies, and donors
•    Computer proficiency in MS Office, in particular MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook, and messaging and video conferencing 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 mindset
•    Ready to work in a multicultural environment

The following experience and skills will be considered as an asset
•    Prior knowledge of the Nigerian healthcare system 
•    Advanced degree in public health with specialisations in human resources for health
•    Experience of participation in international projects dealing with human resources for health
•    Similar experience in Africa
 

Additional information

Working method
•    An initial 15 days of work is expected for this mission, but can be extended depending on how the project evolves following the diagnostic study
•    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 video conferences
•    In Abuja, the expert will be able to work in the project’s premises and may be accompanied to their meetings with the beneficiaries either by the project coordinator and/or national experts
•    The short-term expert may be solicited to participate in 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 manager at EF HQ

Terms of application
•    The mission should start in March 2026
•    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/diplomas related to the expert assignment
  • Candidate’s skills linked with the expert mission
  • Candidate’s experiences linked with the expert mission
  • Candidate’s expected linguistic understanding
  • Candidate's knowledges related to local context (country or region intervention)

Deadline for application : 2026/02/23 23:55

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. 

This website uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue we assume that you consent to receive all cookies on all websites.
For further information, please click here >>.