Deadline: 17-Jun-2026
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is inviting Expressions of Interest from NGOs and community-based civil society organizations to support efforts aimed at ending child marriage, strengthening child protection systems, and empowering adolescent girls in Katsina and Jigawa States, Nigeria. The initiative forms part of the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage.
The programme focuses on community-based child protection, prevention of gender-based violence, adolescent girls’ empowerment, vocational and entrepreneurship training, integrated case management, and access to sexual and reproductive health and protection services. The initiative will be implemented across selected Local Government Areas in Katsina and Jigawa States with an indicative budget of USD 200,000.
What is the UNICEF Nigeria Child Protection and Child Marriage Prevention Initiative?
UNICEF is seeking Expressions of Interest from eligible organizations to support a child protection and adolescent empowerment initiative focused on ending child marriage and strengthening community-based protection systems in northern Nigeria.
The programme aims to improve protection, wellbeing, and opportunities for adolescent girls while addressing harmful practices such as child marriage through coordinated community action, service delivery, and empowerment interventions.
The initiative supports prevention, response, and referral systems for vulnerable girls and women while promoting positive social change and access to services.
Programme Objectives
The initiative aims to:
- Prevent and reduce child marriage.
- Strengthen child protection systems.
- Improve protection services for vulnerable girls and women.
- Empower adolescent girls through skills development.
- Strengthen community-based case management systems.
- Promote positive parental and social norms.
- Improve access to sexual and reproductive health services.
- Support access to education and alternative pathways.
- Prevent violence, abuse, and harmful practices.
Key Focus Areas
The programme focuses on several child protection and adolescent wellbeing priorities.
Main focus areas include:
- Child protection system strengthening.
- Prevention of child marriage.
- Gender-based violence prevention.
- Protection advice and support services.
- Community-based child protection systems.
- Integrated case management.
- Adolescent girls’ empowerment.
- Vocational and entrepreneurship skills training.
- Sexual and reproductive health and rights services.
- Positive parenting and social norms.
- Access to legal, psychosocial, and social protection services.
The initiative combines prevention, empowerment, and protection-focused interventions.
Child Marriage Context in Nigeria
Nigeria has one of the:
- Highest numbers of child brides globally.
Child marriage remains a major challenge, particularly in:
- Northern regions of the country.
The practice contributes to:
- School dropout.
- Adolescent pregnancy.
- Poor health outcomes.
- Limited economic opportunities for girls.
- Increased vulnerability and social exclusion.
Despite reductions in prevalence rates, population growth is expected to increase the total number of child brides in the future.
Alignment with the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme
The initiative is aligned with:
- The UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage.
The global programme promotes:
- Rights of adolescent girls.
- Access to education and alternative opportunities.
- Protection and social services.
- Positive social norm transformation.
- Prevention of harmful practices.
The initiative contributes to broader efforts to protect girls and strengthen community resilience.
Target States and Local Government Areas
Implementation will take place in:
Katsina State
The selected Local Government Areas include:
- Charanchi.
- Kankia.
- Rimi.
- Sandamu.
Jigawa State
The selected Local Government Areas include:
- Kazaure.
- Gwaram.
- Mallam Madori.
- Darki.
The programme focuses on vulnerable communities with high child marriage risks.
Target Beneficiaries
The initiative prioritizes:
- Adolescent girls.
- Out-of-school girls.
- Girls at risk of child marriage.
- Vulnerable girls and women.
- Community members and caregivers.
Special emphasis is placed on:
- Girls lacking access to education and protection services.
Community-Based Child Protection Systems
The programme seeks to strengthen:
- Community-based child protection structures.
These systems are expected to support:
- Prevention of violence and abuse.
- Identification of vulnerable children and girls.
- Reporting and referral of protection cases.
- Community response mechanisms.
- Access to protection services.
The initiative emphasizes local participation and community ownership.
Integrated Case Management Support
The project will reinforce:
- Integrated case management systems.
Support activities include:
- Identification and referral of vulnerable cases.
- Coordination of protection services.
- Strengthening information management systems.
- Improving service access pathways.
The programme seeks to improve timely and effective support for vulnerable girls and women.
Training of Community-Based Case Workers
Expected activities include:
- Training community-based case workers.
Training areas include:
- Integrated case management.
- Child protection systems.
- Child protection information management systems.
- Referral and response mechanisms.
The initiative aims to strengthen frontline response capacity.
Community Sensitization and Positive Parenting
The programme includes:
- Community awareness and sensitization activities.
Key topics include:
- Child protection.
- Prevention of child marriage.
- Positive parenting practices.
- Gender-based violence prevention.
- Girls’ rights and wellbeing.
The initiative seeks to transform harmful social norms and strengthen protective family environments.
Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment
The programme emphasizes:
- Empowerment of out-of-school adolescent girls.
Activities include:
- Vocational skills training.
- Entrepreneurship development.
- Life skills and empowerment support.
The initiative aims to improve:
- Economic opportunities.
- Self-reliance.
- Social inclusion for vulnerable girls.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Services
The project supports:
- Access to sexual and reproductive health information and services.
This includes:
- Awareness and education.
- Referral to healthcare services.
- Support for adolescent wellbeing.
The programme seeks to improve health outcomes and informed decision-making among girls.
Access to Protection and Social Services
The initiative will strengthen access to:
- Health services.
- Maternal healthcare.
- Legal and justice services.
- Psychosocial support.
- Social protection systems.
The programme promotes integrated and coordinated support for vulnerable populations.
Indicative Budget
The indicative funding available for this initiative is:
- USD 200,000.
The funding supports implementation of child protection, empowerment, and community engagement activities across the targeted states.
Expected Outcomes
The programme aims to achieve several protection and empowerment outcomes.
Expected results include:
- Strengthened community-based child protection systems.
- Reduced risk of child marriage.
- Improved access to protection and social services.
- Increased empowerment of adolescent girls.
- Better community awareness of child protection issues.
- Improved case management and referral systems.
- Enhanced vocational and entrepreneurship opportunities for girls.
The initiative seeks to improve wellbeing, resilience, and long-term opportunities for vulnerable girls and communities.
Why This Programme Matters
The UNICEF initiative addresses critical child protection and gender equality challenges in northern Nigeria.
Key benefits include:
- Supporting girls at risk of child marriage.
- Strengthening protection systems and services.
- Empowering adolescent girls economically and socially.
- Improving community awareness and prevention systems.
- Supporting access to health and protection services.
- Addressing harmful social norms and practices.
The programme contributes to child rights, gender equality, and community resilience.
Who Can Apply?
UNICEF is seeking Expressions of Interest from:
- NGOs.
- Community-based civil society organizations.
Suitable applicants are expected to demonstrate:
- Experience in child protection and gender programming.
- Community mobilization and engagement capacity.
- Experience working with adolescent girls.
- Case management and referral expertise.
- Ability to work in northern Nigerian communities.
- Experience implementing empowerment and protection activities.
Organizations with strong local presence and community networks are particularly relevant.
Assessment and Selection Priorities
Applications are likely to be assessed based on:
- Technical expertise in child protection and gender programming.
- Experience preventing child marriage and harmful practices.
- Community engagement capacity.
- Experience working with vulnerable adolescent girls.
- Monitoring and case management systems.
- Coordination and partnership approaches.
- Ability to deliver integrated services.
Strong proposals should demonstrate sustainable and community-centered approaches.
Tips for Preparing a Strong Expression of Interest
Applicants can improve their submissions by focusing on the following areas:
- Demonstrate child protection and GBV prevention experience.
- Highlight community engagement and case management expertise.
- Show experience supporting adolescent girls.
- Include strong referral and coordination mechanisms.
- Present realistic implementation and outreach strategies.
- Demonstrate local knowledge and partnerships.
- Include gender-sensitive and protection-focused approaches.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid the following issues:
- Weak understanding of child marriage drivers.
- Poor community engagement strategies.
- Limited protection and referral systems.
- Unrealistic implementation plans.
- Weak coordination and partnership structures.
- Insufficient safeguarding and accountability measures.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the focus of the UNICEF initiative?
The programme focuses on ending child marriage, strengthening child protection systems, and empowering adolescent girls in Katsina and Jigawa States.
Who can apply?
NGOs and community-based civil society organizations are eligible to submit Expressions of Interest.
Which states are targeted?
The initiative focuses on selected Local Government Areas in Katsina and Jigawa States, Nigeria.
Who are the target beneficiaries?
Target groups include adolescent girls, out-of-school girls, vulnerable girls and women, and local communities.
What activities are expected under the programme?
Activities include child protection system strengthening, case management, vocational training, community sensitization, and sexual and reproductive health support.
What is the indicative budget?
The indicative budget for the initiative is USD 200,000.
What global programme supports this initiative?
The programme is aligned with the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage.
Conclusion
The UNICEF Nigeria initiative on ending child marriage and strengthening child protection systems provides an important opportunity to support vulnerable adolescent girls and communities in Katsina and Jigawa States. Through community-based child protection systems, vocational empowerment, integrated case management, and awareness activities, the programme seeks to reduce harmful practices and strengthen wellbeing and resilience.
The initiative also supports improved access to health, protection, and social services while promoting positive social norms and girls’ rights. NGOs and community-based organizations with expertise in child protection, adolescent empowerment, and community engagement are encouraged to participate in this important initiative.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.
