Advocacy Manager (W/M) – Nigeria mission Full Time

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization created in 1971 that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural disasters.

Implement the second phase of the nutrition advocacy strategy in Nigeria to strengthen resources mobilization in the Northwest on the short and longer term and support the OCP mission on all advocacy topics, included important component on maternal health in link with Jahun project.

Specific Objectives / Priorities

• Develop and implement advocacy action plans, ensuring effective coordination of activities to achieve defined goals.
• By HoM delegation, represent MSF within government coordination platforms addressing acute malnutrition, in close collaboration with key stakeholders; same for maternal health
• Engage with high-level counterparts and strengthen MSF’s network of relationships in coordination with the Head of Mission (HoM) and Country Representative (CR).
• Represent MSF in multi-stakeholder fora on nutrition data analysis, food security, and nutrition assessments across Nigeria
• Participate in the advocacy manager/coordinator platform and designing the intersection advocacy strategy; to foreseen the intersection advocacy set up.

Expected results:

• A clear advocacy plan is available and understood by all the coordinators
• Katsina State Government commitments to address malnutrition are regularly monitored, with documented follow-up actions and effective advocacy ensuring tangible progress in their implementation.
• A high-level advocacy committee is established, supported, and effectively coordinated in the Northwest, bringing together key actors such as the Director General of the Northwest Governors’ Forum, the Office of the Vice President (OVP), the World Bank, UNICEF, and other strategic partners
• Available resources for scaling up the management of malnutrition are identified and actions to mobilize them implemented, including inputs from the World Bank, the Nigerian and Katsina State Governments, UNICEF, international donors, and NGOs, alongside exploration of additional funding opportunities
• Support the implementation of a management model (simplified protocol, prevention strategy).
• Jigawa State Government commitments to address maternal health issue are regularly monitored, with documented follow-up actions and effective advocacy ensuring tangible progress in their implementation.

Main Responsabilities

• Set up or support advocacy mechanism with existing key stakeholders in nutrition (at federal and state level, with government, UN, NGOs, donors)
• Conduct and maintain an up-to-date narrative and analysis of the humanitarian situation and needs based on mission data as well as the available intersection data, and relevant external reports.
• Define the advocacy strategy for MSF (in discussion with cell and mission): main issues, objectives, messages, targets and activities.
  • Based on meetings and identified needs, write the talking points, presentations, briefing notes and Verbal Note
  • Sequence the advocacy actions (identify external targets and MSF spokespeople)
• Participate in the maintaining of the up-to-date timeline (meetings, incidents, OP changes, events, etc…)
• Ensure the liaison with the field teams to explore certain topics: meetings with key actors / testimonies to improve the understanding of certain themes, etc..)
• Support the CR in coordinating the intersection advocacy efforts for identified key topics:
  • Propose working session on advocacy with others OC to define agenda and strategy
  • Organize and contribute in weekly advocacy meetings, provide clear feedback and actions to CR
  • Contribute in the making of the talking Points and intersection report
  • Contribute to the intersection data management
• Represent MSF to government, UN or civil society coordination and advocacy working groups
• Maintain a regular link with the communication department (ensure consistency of messages + regular updates on ongoing works)

Profile required

Experience and Training:

• Experiences with MSF or another NGO as PC, Head of Mission or Advocacy Coordinator
• Master’s degree in social sciences or equivalent

Languages : French B2, English C1

Skills: Strong analytical and writing skills. Extensive knowledge of the region. Knowledge about malnutrition issues would be appreciated.

Abilities :

• Work in partnership with authorities
• Work intersectionality

Specificities of the position:

Status: Field-based position, based in Abuja (Nigeria) with travels to MSF projets. Full-time 12 months fixed term contract.

Salary conditions: Salary level according to MSF field grid and relevant experience.

Desired start date: as soon as possible

Tagged as: Médecins Sans Frontières, Nigeria