REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

For the Appointment of a Policy Expert

GEF-Funded Child Project: “Circular Solutions to Plastic Pollution in Nigeria”

Project Title	Circular Solutions to Plastic Pollution in Nigeria
GEF Project ID	11193
Post Title	Policy Expert
Implementing Agency	United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Executing Agency	National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA)
Funding Source	Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Project Duration	5 years
Duty Station	Abuja (with field travel to project locations)
Nature of Engagement	Part time position
Indicative Total Work Period	Part time
Date of Issue of RFP	11 March 2026
Closing Date for Submission	24 March 2026

Background

The consumption of single-use plastic water sachets in Nigeria has become a major source of plastic pollution, with over 2.5 billion litres consumed annually. Today, there are over 32,000 sachet water producers nationwide. Once consumed, water sachets are often indiscriminately discarded, contributing significantly to plastic pollution in the country. This leads to clogged sewage systems, marine and freshwater leakage, harm to biodiversity, and increased risks of widespread diseases. These impacts pose severe hazards to the environment, biodiversity, and public health.

While government efforts to expand and improve pipe-borne water systems are ongoing, alternatives to plastic sachets are urgently needed given Nigerians’ high reliance on packaged water.

Against this backdrop, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has provided critical funding support for this project to reduce plastic sachet consumption while safeguarding access to safe drinking water. The GEF-funded project will advance sustainable solutions through the following key components:

1. Strengthening federal and sub-national policies and institutional capacities for ensuring accessible and safe drinking water.
2. Fostering public-private partnerships (PPPs) to expand access to clean drinking water through circular economy solutions, eco-design, and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes.
3. Piloting reuse models and community-owned initiatives to demonstrate the combined economic and environmental benefits of alternatives to sachet plastics.
4. Enhancing public awareness and stakeholder engagement to drive behavioral change and promote sustainable water consumption practices.
5. Ensuring effective communication and coordination throughout project implementation, particularly alignment with the Global Project under GEF.

This GEF investment contributes directly to the delivery of the UNEP Programme of Work on reducing land-based sources of pollution and achieving transformative impacts. The project is expected to generate measurable Global Environmental Benefits (GEBs), including:

• 350,078 metric tons of avoided residual plastic waste pollution (CI 9.8);
• 54.69 gTEQ POPs to air reduced (CI 10);
• 1,868,657 metric tons of CO₂ emission reduced (CI 6.7).

Through GEF’s support, Nigeria is taking a decisive step toward addressing plastic pollution, protecting biodiversity, and safeguarding public health, while promoting sustainable access to safe drinking water.

Organizational Context

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has the responsibility for the protection and development of the environment, biodiversity conservation, and the sustainable development of Nigeria’s natural resources. The Agency also promotes environmental technology, including coordination and liaison with relevant stakeholders within and outside Nigeria on matters relating to the enforcement of environmental standards, regulations, rules, laws, policies, and guidelines.

The NESREA Act empowers the Agency to:

• Enforce all environmental laws, guidelines, policies, standards, and regulations in Nigeria; and
• Ensure compliance with provisions of international agreements, protocols, conventions, and treaties on the environment to which Nigeria is a signatory.

In this project, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) provides the funding, with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) serving as the Implementing Agency, while NESREA acts as the Executing Agency responsible for delivering project activities on the ground in Nigeria.

Objectives of the Assignment

Component 1 of the project is dedicated to establishing an enabling regulatory and policy environment for accessible drinking water and circular solutions. The Policy Expert will contribute to Component 1 of the project by leading policy gap analysis, drafting new or amended policies and legislation, supporting sub-national planning processes, and actively participating in inter-governmental coordination mechanisms. By project completion, the Expert will be responsible for delivering the policy aspects of the Roadmap for Circular Systems in the Water Sector.

Scope of Work and Key Responsibilities

1. Development of Policy and Legislative Instruments

Conducting a comprehensive policy gap analysis of existing regulations and policies on water packaging, plastic waste, and circular economy.

Leading benchmarking exercises on policy measures to promote sound water supply and circular packaging from comparable contexts.

Conduct feasibility and technical studies to assess the economic, social, and environmental impacts of proposed policy options

The Policy Expert will lead the development of policy recommendations and legislative proposals required to strengthen regulatory frameworks for circular solutions in the water sector.

This will include drafting policy briefs, case studies, regulatory guidelines, and legislative proposals that promote circular economy practices, the reduction of plastic sachet pollution, and sustainable water packaging systems. The expert will also support stakeholder consultations and validation processes for the proposed policy measures.

• Technical Support to Planning Processes

The Policy Expert will provide policy guidance and technical inputs to national and sub-national planning processes aimed at reducing plastic pollution from water sachets. The expert will ensure that proposed strategies align with national policy frameworks and regulatory requirements.

• Policy Dialogue and Stakeholder Coordination

The Policy Expert will support coordination among relevant government institutions, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders involved in addressing plastic pollution and promoting circular solutions in the water sector. This will include participating in inter-governmental committee meetings, contributing to the Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable, and providing advisory consultations He/she will engage and maintain relationships with key policy stakeholders

• Contribution to the Roadmap for Circular Systems in the Water Sector

The Policy Expert will contribute to the development of the Roadmap for Circular Systems in the Water Sector by identifying policy measures, regulatory reforms, and institutional arrangements required to enable the transition toward circular water packaging systems and sustainable alternatives to plastic sachets.

Reporting and Supervision

The Policy Expert will:

• Report to the Project Coordinator / Senior Technical Advisor
• Collaborate with the Global Project Communications Team.
• Work closely with NESREA technical team and UNEP;
• Support Project Management Unit (PMU) coordination.

Required Qualifications and skills

• University degree in Public Policy, Law, Environmental Studies, Development Studies, Economics, or related fields (postgraduate qualification is an advantage).
• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in environmental policy development, regulatory analysis, or legislative drafting;
• Demonstrated experience in policy work related to waste management, plastics, water, or circular economy;
• Demonstrated experience in conducting policy gap analyses and developing policy recommendations for government agencies or development partners.
• Proven track record in drafting legal instruments, regulations, or policy frameworks, ideally related to environmental protection, waste management, or Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
• Experience engaging federal and sub-national government institutions;
  Familiarity with UN and donor-funded project procedures is an asset.
• Strong analytical, drafting, and policy writing skills;
• Proven stakeholder facilitation and coordination capacity;
• Excellent command of written and spoken English;
• Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong facilitation and presentation skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders and build consensus
• Experience with GEF, UNEP, or other international donor-funded projects is an advantage

The expert will ensure that all policy outputs are gender-responsive, evidence-based, developed through inclusive stakeholder consultation, and aligned with national priorities and international best practices.

He/She will contribute to project reports, including quarterly progress reports, Annual Project Implementation Reports (PIR), and the Final Report

Application Procedure

Interested candidates are invited to submit:

• A cover letter demonstrating suitability for the assignment;
• A detailed CV highlighting relevant qualifications and experience;
•  Scanned copies of academic and professional certificates;
•  Evidence of past engagements (appointment letters, reference letters, or similar);
•  A technical proposal (2–3 pages) outlining understanding of the assignment and proposed policy approach.

Applications should clearly state: “Policy Expert – Circular Solutions to Plastic Pollution in Nigeria” in the subject line and be submitted to:

The Director General/CEO
NESREA Headquarters, Abuja

Email: dg@nesrea.gov.ng ; procurement@nesrea.gov.ng  krisbeka@gmail.com ; elichucks@gmail.com

Closing Date for Submission: 24^th March 2026

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview.

Signed

Director General/CEO
NESREA..