E T Consultant

At the World Bank Group (WBG), you’ll join a diverse, global community working across cultures, disciplines, and borders to address the world’s most pressing development challenges. With 1.2 billion young people reaching working age in the decade ahead, the challenge of job creation has never been greater. Through partnerships across 145 countries and more than 182 offices worldwide, we work with governments, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders to invest in people, strengthen markets, and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions that generate more and better jobs and improve lives. For more information, visit www.worldbank.org . Water Global Practice and the Planet Practice Group The world faces a deepening water crisis with profound consequences for human development, food security, and economic growth. Over 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water, more than 3.4 billion live without adequate sanitation, and four billion experience severe water scarcity every year. Water-dependent sectors support 1.7 billion jobs globally, yet climate change continues to intensify floods, droughts, and rainfall variability — with the heaviest burden falling on women and the poor. Addressing these challenges will require more than $1 trillion annually, far exceeding current public spending of $164.6 billion and a private sector contribution of just 2%. The World Bank Group's Water Global Practice is responding through Water Forward initiative, with a goal of advancing water security for 400 million people by 2030. The strategy rests on three pillars — Water for People (250 million people through improved drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene), Water for Food (50 million people through sustainable irrigation and agricultural water management), and Water for Planet (100 million people through flood and drought resilience and ecosystem restoration). Collectively, MDBs and partners under Water Forward are committed to reaching over one billion people by 2030. Housed within the Planet Vertical and supported by the GWSP trust fund, the GP integrates investment with governance, policy, and institutional reform, while deploying digital tools, AI, and regional knowledge platforms to translate global expertise into local impact. Western and Central Africa (AFW) Region Western and Central Africa is a region with diverse cultures, beliefs, languages, and lifestyles – marked by contrasts of stability and conflict, affluence and poverty. Home to about half a billion people, it encompasses 22 countries stretching from the westernmost point of Africa across the equator and partly along the Atlantic Ocean to the Republic of Congo in the South. Yet these vast opportunities are tempered by persistent gaps in education, health, and skills, which have Africa not reaching its estimated potential. Many of these countries are rich in natural resources, exporting key commodities such as oil (Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of Congo), cocoa (Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana), and cotton (Benin, Burkina Faso). Despite this, agriculture remains the backbone of the region’s economy, providing employment for 42% of the population in 2019. https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/region/afr/western-and-central-africa AFW Water Team (SAWW4) The AFW Water team (SAWW4), is responsible for ensuring the translation of the World Bank’s Africa Regional Strategy and the Water Global Practice’s Water Security Strategy into practical results relevant to 9 countries, from Sierra Leone to Cameroon. Specifically, the unit supports the definition and achievement of these results through analytical, policy, and investment activities. The unit has a staffing complement of around 15 water professionals, with an active portfolio of about $1.5 Billion, through 6 investment projects, 1 Program for Results, Advisory Services and Analytics, and contribution to Development Policy Financing. Objectives of the assignment The SAWW4 unit seeks to recruit a Senior Water Specialist to support the task team leaders (TTLs) in various activities, including: (1) analytical and operational support for the preparation and implementation of Sustainable Power and Irrigation in Nigeria (SPIN) Project and other projects and programs in the Nigeria CMU as required; (2) the formulation of country water sector strategies through strategic analytical works; (3) the preparation of new projects or programs; and (4) the monitoring, quality assurance, and coordination of the water sector portfolio. Scope of work The Specialist will be responsible for various tasks which include but are not limited to:

• Provide technical and operational support to TTLs in the preparation, supervision and completion of projects and programs in Nigeria and the Lake Chad basin as needed. This includes participation in day-to-day monitoring and follow-up, field supervision, review of technical/procurement documents and work programs, assessment of progress and key project outcomes and indicators, and contributing to supervision documentation;
• Establish a good working relationship and work closely with client institutions to support effective preparation and implementation of World Bank-financed work programs;
• Collect and analyze sector data to produce sector study reports, engagement notes, diagnostic reports, conference papers and other official World Bank documents;
• Support the organization and implementation of preparation and supervision missions as well as the preparation of corresponding Aide Memoires, Management Letters, back-to-office reports and briefs;
• Support the Task Teams with processing of operational issues, including on the Operations Portal.
• Support the TTLs in liaising with the technical, procurement, financial management, disbursement, environmental, social, and legal colleagues, as well as Global Practice and CMU management to facilitate reviews, coordination and internal clearance processes;
• Contribute to key implementation activities such as restructurings, budget planning, preparation of terms of references (ToRs), management briefs, etc.; and
• Contribute to the planning and organization of workshops on World Bank procedures and deliverables. Duration of Assignment The assignment will be for two years with the possibility of extension based on business need and performance. Supervision The Specialist will report to Anna Cestari, the SAWW4 practice manager.