UN Women National Consultant to Facilitate Training for Women in Seafood Processing and Value Addition, Cross River State, Nigeria

Background:

UN Women Nigeria supports women’s economic empowerment through improved skills, productive livelihoods, market access and more resilient value chains. In Cross River State, women play important roles in the fisheries and seafood value chain, including handling, processing, preservation, packaging and marketing. However, limited access to improved processing techniques, food-safety practices, appropriate equipment, business skills and higher-value markets can constrain productivity and incomes.

UN Women therefore seeks a qualified local trainer to deliver practical, hands-on training for women on safe and hygienic seafood handling, processing, preservation, value addition, packaging and basic enterprise practices. The assignment should prioritize locally available seafood and technologies that are affordable, energy-efficient and appropriate for women-led micro and small enterprises.

The trainer will work under the overall guidance of UN Women Nigeria and the designated programme focal point, in coordination with relevant state/local authorities, community leadership and participating women’s groups as applicable. All deliverables are subject to UN Women review and acceptance.

Objective of the Assignment

The overall objective is to strengthen the technical and enterprise capacities of participating women to process seafood safely, reduce post-harvest losses, improve product quality and shelf life, diversify value-added products, and enhance their competitiveness and incomes.

Specific Objectives

• Assess participants’ existing practices, skills gaps and locally available seafood products.
• Provide practical training on hygienic handling, cleaning, sorting, preparation and preservation of seafood.
• Demonstrate improved processing techniques suited to local products, including smoking, drying and other safe value-addition methods where appropriate.
• Build practical skills in food safety, quality control, packaging, labelling, storage and waste minimization.
• Strengthen basic costing, pricing, record-keeping, customer orientation and market-readiness skills.
• Equip participants to operate and maintain relevant small-scale processing equipment safely.

Scope of Work and Responsibilities

• Conduct an inception meeting with UN Women and relevant local stakeholders and submit a concise training plan.
• Carry out a rapid pre-training needs/skills assessment and adapt the curriculum to participants’ literacy levels, local seafood species and market context.
• Develop simple participant-friendly training materials, practical demonstrations and job aids in English and, where useful, locally understandable language.
• Deliver competency-focused sessions combining demonstration, supervised practice and peer learning.
• Cover good hygiene practices, prevention of cross-contamination, safe water use, temperature/time control, clean work surfaces, appropriate protective clothing and safe storage.
• Demonstrate seafood processing and preservation methods applicable to the target products, such as improved smoking, drying, chilling/freezing or other methods agreed with UN Women.
• Train participants in packaging and labelling fundamentals, product presentation, basic quality assurance and compliance awareness for market access.
• Integrate occupational health and safety, energy efficiency, responsible use of fuel and water, by-product utilization and environmentally sound waste disposal.
• Introduce simple business modules covering product costing, pricing, production records, stock control, customer service and market linkages.
• Administer post-training competency checks, document lessons learned and provide coaching/mentoring during practical application.
• Submit complete training documentation and a final assignment report with recommendations for sustainability and follow-up support.

Indicative Training Modules

Module 1: Seafood value chain, participant assessment and good hygiene practices

Module 2: Raw material selection, handling, cleaning and preparation

Module 3: Improved processing and preservation: smoking, drying and context-appropriate cold preservation

Module 4: Food safety, contamination prevention, quality control and safe storage

Module 5: Processing equipment: safe operation, routine cleaning and basic maintenance

Module 6: Value-added product development, portioning, packaging and labelling

Module 7: By-product utilization, waste management, energy/water efficiency and workplace safety

Module 8: Costing, pricing, record-keeping, customer requirements and market readiness

Module 9: Practical production exercises, competency assessment and coaching

Training Approach

The trainer will use an adult-learning and learning-by-doing approach. Training should be predominantly practical, with demonstrations followed by supervised participant practice. Examples, measurements and job aids should be simple and locally relevant. The trainer will ensure safe use of knives, heat/smoking equipment, cold-storage equipment and other tools; promote hygienic workstations; and make reasonable adaptations that enable equitable participation by women.

Expected Deliverables 

• Inception report and training plan: Methodology, schedule, stakeholder engagement approach and materials/equipment list.
• Needs assessment and adapted training package: Baseline findings, session plans, participant materials and practical exercises.
• Practical training delivered: Attendance records, photos where consent and UN Women protocols permit, practice logs and competency observations.
• Coaching and post-training assessment: Follow-up coaching, post-assessment results and identified support needs.
• Final report: Activities, participant profile, pre/post results, achievements, challenges, lessons learned and recommendations, with annexes.

Performance Indicators

• Training delivered according to the approved plan and within 20 working days.
• Participants demonstrate improved knowledge and practical competence based on pre/post assessment and observation.
• Participants can apply key hygiene, processing, preservation, packaging and basic costing practices.
• Complete, accurate and timely training records and reports submitted.
• Positive participant feedback and clear recommendations for post-training coaching and market support.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Strong practical facilitation skills.
• Respect for diversity, gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
• Ability to work effectively with adult learners of different literacy levels.
• Commitment to food safety, occupational safety, safeguarding and respectful engagement.
• Results orientation, integrity and timely delivery.

Required Qualifications 

• Minimum diploma or bachelor’s degree, technical certificate or recognized vocational qualification in fisheries, aquaculture, food science/technology, catering/food processing, agribusiness or a related field.

Experience

• At least 5 years of relevant practical experience in seafood/fish processing, preservation, food safety or fisheries value-chain development; strong hands-on experience may be considered alongside formal qualifications.
• Demonstrated experience training women, community groups, cooperatives or micro and small enterprises using participatory and practical adult-learning methods.
• Practical knowledge of hygienic seafood handling, smoking/drying or other preservation techniques, packaging, storage, basic equipment maintenance and post-harvest loss reduction.
• Knowledge of applicable Nigerian food-safety and market requirements and ability to translate these into practical guidance for small-scale processors.
• Experience in Cross River State or comparable coastal/fisheries communities is an asset.
• Strong communication, facilitation, documentation and basic reporting skills; ability to communicate in English and a relevant local language is an advantage.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish).

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.