Biodiversity Policy Specialist

Host entity: UNDP

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Climate change, environment

Application deadline: 09/11/2026

Mission and objectives

UNDP is the United Nations largest agency with a mandate to eradicate poverty, through sustainable and inclusive human development. UNDP has been in Nigeria since the country became independent in 1960 providing capacity building and policy development support to the Federal Government of Nigeria in areas of Governance & Peace Building, Inclusive growth, and Sustainable Development.
UNDP continues to support the government in the implementation of development interventions aimed at meeting medium to long term goals enshrined in National and Subnational development plans as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. The goal of UNDP is to improve the lives of the people of Nigeria, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, and to ensure a future that offers equality, dignity, and opportunity for all. UNDP works in partnership with the federal Government of Nigeria, development partners, UN agencies, civil society and local communities to help identify local solutions to meet global and national development challenges through a range of interventions that combine UNDP’s expertise and comparative advantage in the areas of Governance & Peace Building, Inclusive growth and Sustainable Development.

Assignment context

UNDP's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan highlights our continued commitment to eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs and working towards the Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP's Nature, Climate Change, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Hubs promote and scale up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.
The implementation of the project in NIGERIA falls under the GEF8 Umbrella programme for the development of the first National Biodiversity Finance Plan. The overall implementation of the project will be led by the Project Lead/Senior Finance Expert with the support of a technical team and in coordination to a government project director and the National Steering Commit-tee.
For the implementation of the GEF8-BFP Umbrella program at the national level, UNDP is recruiting a national team composed of a Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead), a Project Support Associate, a Policy Expert and a Biodiversity Finance Specialist.
The Environmental Policy Expert will lead the production of the Policy and Institutional Review and will provide initial input to support the Project Lead to develop the Biodiversity Finance Plan.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead), the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Support the Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead) in the conception and preparation of the PIR.
• Plan and implement the PIR step of the BIOFIN methodology.
• Identify relevant stakeholders to inform and participate this step.
• Stocktake and analyse relevant biodiversity related policy instruments and studies (such as harmful subsidies analysis that might be delivered prior or parallel to this step of the methodology), these include NBSAPs and beyond.
• Develop an inventory of existing Biodiversity Financing Mechanisms in the country.
• Review existing economic valuation studies relevant to the BIOFIN process.
• Review legal framework relevant to the BIOFIN process.
• Review other sources relevant to BD finance.
• Describe relevant stakeholders, sectors and institutions to inform the BER analysis.
• Provide relevant findings of financial mechanisms that contribute to biodiversity finance and potential areas in need of finance
• Support the Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead) with summary of findings, finance mechanism baseline and initial preparation guidance of the BFP.
• Support detailed feasibility analyses on a range of financing mechanisms depending on knowledge and experience.
• Preparation of workshops, meetings, networking and presentations as required, to complete the Policy and Institutional Review.
• Provide substantive comments and feedback on how to improve the existing method-ologies.
• Document decisions and assumptions made while completing the Policy and Institutional Review (PIR)
• Document lessons learned from conducting the BFP project ranging from institutional considerations to technical issues.
• Prepare reports and case studies, as required, for submission to global meetings (e.g. CBD COP).
• Provide insights and recommendations for the BFP.

Skills and experience

• Communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner.
• Excellent verbal communication skills.
• Capable of working in a high pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills.
• Exercise the highest level of responsibility and be able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner.
• Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback.
• Familiarity with the government, environmental policy and legal framework, environmental financial mechanisms is strongly desired.
• Experience in collaborating with international and national experts and institutions.
• Knowledge of key software packages (MS Office)
• Ability to prepare publications, reports and presentations.
• Able to work independently with little or no supervision.

Competencies and values

Accountability
Commitment and Motivation
Integrity
Respect for Diversity
Working in Teams

Living conditions

Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria located in the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It is a planned city and was built mainly in the 1980s, replacing the country's most populous city of Lagos as the capital on 12 December 1991. As of 2015, the city is experiencing an annual growth of at least 35%, retaining its position as the fastest-growing city on the African continent and one of the fastest-growing in the world. The city can be accessed by Air, Road or Rail. Abuja is housed by many expatriate and diplomatic communities. Cost of living in Abuja varies but could be termed as high considering the class of people residing in the city. Terrorism is the main threat in the Abuja. General crime is also prevalent. UN staff members are advised to stay only in UNDSS assessed hotels and residential areas.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.