Terms of Reference/Job Responsibilities Health Correspondent Nigeria, E4A
We are looking for a Health Correspondent to support advocacy and communications.
You have excellent written, online and oral communication skills and a track record of producing
high quality communications materials, preferably in the health sector.
You have experience working as a journalist, reporting on topics of health and maternal and
newborn health.
You have experience of translating complex, scientific information into short, accurate and
accessible briefings and messaging for a wide range of audiences and using a wide range of
media.
You have an understanding of the political, social, cultural and economic landscape in Nigeria and
will be able to take this into account when communicating the work of E4A.
You have experience using social media, writing blogs and developing press releases.
You are passionate about improving the survival of mothers and babies.
You are a strong writer, communicator and connector.
Evidence for Action (E4A) is a programme managed by Options Consultancy Services and funded by
the UK Department for International Development (DFID) until 2016 to improve maternal and
newborn survival through a combined focus on evidence, advocacy and accountability across six subSaharan African countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. The E4A
consortium brings together experts from academic institutions, internationally recognized advocacy
and accountability coalitions and civil society organizations1. It works through local institutions in
each of the six selected countries which hosts a small E4A Country Team.
In each country and at a regional level, E4A has launched a locally driven programme under an
umbrella E4A regional advocacy campaign known as MamaYe! The campaign has a clear focus on
survival and positive stories rather than a resigned social acceptance of death in pregnancy and
childbirth which is common throughout Africa.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the advocacy work, has committed resources to
expand the reach of the E4A program and enable existing and effective models of change to be
scaled-up, improving maternal and newborn survival in Nigeria, Malawi and Ethiopia.
Please visit the website www.mamaye.org.ng
1
for further information about the programme.
The consortium consists of research departments from four major universities – Immpact, the Centre for
International Health & Development, the Centre for Global Health, Population, Poverty, and Policy and the
London School for Hygiene and Tropical Medicine – Advocacy International and the African networks of the
White Ribbon Alliance.
Job Summary
As the Health Correspondent you will be responsible for supporting advocacy and communication
technical inputs through writing and disseminating diverse evidence based communication materials
on maternal and newborn health for the E4A-MamaYe campaign.
A key role will be to produce and disseminate high quality written evidence based materials for a
variety of online and print media to showcase the MamaYe campaign and activities.
You will report to the Country Director and work closely with other members of the country team
supported by the host agency in Abuja and Options’ head office team members, in particular the
Technical Support Unit (TSU) and other core team members. You will work closely with the team in
Nigeria including the National Coordinator, Communications Advisor, MamaYe Lead, Advocacy
Coordinator, State Coordinators, and Budget Advocacy Advisor.
Job Responsibilities
1. Lead inputs on communication and writing for various print and online media.

Identify, research and write stories highlighting successes within maternal and newborn
health and to celebrate individual or organisational champions in Nigeria

Produce and disseminate press releases for key campaign and national events

Support E4A team members in developing rich online and social media content including
blogs, stories and website updates.
2. Build the capacity of journalists and media networks on maternal and newborn health.

Mentor journalists in accurately using evidence, identifying stories and positioning
media as a powerful accountability and advocacy mechanism to influence politicians and
the public

Produce materials and deliver media training on investigative journalism and MNH

Support the development and implementation of an investigative journalism
fellowship/competition to inspire, motivate and celebrate investigative journalism
pieces on MNH issues, to mobilise action.
3. Support delivery of the operational plan.

Contribute ideas into the country operational plan and the overall E4A strategy, using
best practice from the sector.

Work with the E4A team to develop specific communications materials and messages to
support both advocacy and accountability efforts.

Support the development and writing of key strategies and reports as needed.

Monitor progress of the operational plan to ensure it is on track, and regularly report on
progress to the Country Director.
Person Specification
Essential

Masters Degree in health or journalistic relevant field

Experience working as a journalist within the health sector

Experience of communicating evidence and statistics for different audiences on different
platforms (e.g. print/web/mobile/broadcast) in an engaging way

Excellent written, online and oral communication skills

Experience of running campaigns on social media sites

Strong training, motivating and facilitation skills

Fluent in English
Desirable

Good understanding of the maternal and newborn health landscape in-country

Proficient in Hausa or Yoruba
This position is primarily based in Abuja, Nigeria. This position is a full-time contract, set to start
January/February 2015 (depending on the availability of the successful candidate) until March
2017.
To apply, email your CV and covering letter to h.andrews@options.co.uk. Only shortlisted
applicants will be contacted for interview. Closing date for receipt of applications: Thursday 8th
January 2015.
For more information about the programme, visit the MamaYe website: www.mamaye.org.ng