Youth Engagement Associate

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.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote 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 that all children have an opportunity 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. Equity accelerates progress 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.
Generation Unlimited Nigeria (GenU 9JA) is a Public-Private-Youth Partnership (PPYP) platform powered by UNICEF, which supports young Nigerians' transition from learning to skilling to earning. In its first four years, the platform has impacted over 11 million young Nigerians across all 36 states and the FCT, and is now formally institutionalised under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) through the co-owned GenU 9JA National Secretariat, inaugurated on 31 March 2026 within the State House, Abuja.
A central element of the GenU 9JA model is meaningful youth participation. The Young People's Action Team (YPAT) — a network of approximately 150 selected young Nigerians drawn from across the country — is the flagship structure through which young people co-design, mobilise, and drive GenU 9JA campaigns and programmes. The Youth Engagement Associate (UNV) will be the day-to-day coordinator of YPAT programmes and a core member of the UNICEF GenU 9JA team, embedded within the Lagos Field Office.

Within the delegated authority and under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist (GenU 9JA), UNICEF Nigeria, the UN Volunteer Youth Engagement Associate will support the four core focus areas below:

1)Young People's Action Team (YPAT) Management
a)Coordinate the day-to-day operations of all YPAT programmes and engagement, (approximately 150 selected young Nigerians drawn from across all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria) as per the GenU 9JA workplan
b)Coordinate structured monthly check-ins with YPAT members, track participation and engagement, and maintain an up-to-date YPAT membership database.
c)Design and implement the YPAT engagement strategy, including onboarding, capacity building, campaign planning, and youth leadership development, with quarterly reviews.
d)Support the identification, recognition and progression of high-performing YPAT members (i.e., leaderboards, awards, opportunities for representation).
e)Coordinate YPAT-led campaigns, community activations, and content production, ensuring alignment with GenU 9JA priorities and safeguarding standards.
f)Facilitate YPAT representation in national and international GenU 9JA convenings, including the National Board and Steering Committee meetings, task force meetings, and external events.



2)GenU 9JA Communications and Design Support
a)Manage the day-to-day inputs into the GenU 9JA visibility channels by amplifying youth voices and documenting programmatic impact across programmes such as YOMA, Green Rising, FUCAP, Links2Work, GESP, ELM, and Passport to Earning (P2E).
b)Produce human-interest stories, press releases, media kits, photos, short-form videos, and other multimedia content that showcase the impact of GenU 9JA programmes on young Nigerians.
c)Design and produce visual assets, i.e., infographics, posters, WhatsApp flyers, social media graphics, for GenU 9JA campaigns and events.
d)Coordinate content production by YPAT members and external creators, ensuring quality, consistency, and adherence to UNICEF and GenU 9JA branding guidelines.
e)Support the launch and rollout of the flagship National Youth Campaign integrating all GenU 9JA programmes under a unified banner.
f)Support the maintenance of the GenU 9JA content library, including photo and video archives, story bank, and campaign materials.




3)Support GenU 9JA Secretariat and Programmes
a)Support event coordination, logistics, participant mobilisation, and on-ground documentation of GenU 9JA activities.
b)Support youth mobilisation and outreach across YOMA (the digital opportunities platform, with 1M+ active users) to drive participation in GenU 9JA opportunities.
c)Support the coordination of GenU 9JA partner engagements and joint activities with private sector, development partner, academia, and civil society partners, as and when required




4)MEL, Reporting, and Knowledge Management Support
a)Support the collection, verification, and consolidation of YPAT engagement data and GenU 9JA programme reach numbers, in line with the Secretariat's MEL framework.
b)Support the preparation of GenU 9JA quarterly progress reports, donor reports, and the Annual Report to the National Board, contributing content on youth engagement, campaign metrics, and human-interest stories.
c)Contribute to the documentation and dissemination of best practices, case studies, and lessons learned from across GenU 9JA programmes and YPAT campaigns.
d)Maintain accurate records of YPAT campaign metrics, content production outputs, and event participation for internal reporting and organisational learning.