Consultant Writer at ActionAid Nigeria

Summary

• ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) is seeking the services of a skilled and experienced writer to develop a compelling and reflective autobiography-memoir-style book documenting the 25-year journey of the organisation.
• The book will highlight leadership transitions, organisational impact, key partnerships, innovations, lessons learned, and the voices of stakeholders, including past leaders, staff, partners, and rights holders. 

Target audience/s 

• The target audience for the book includes Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs); current and former staff of ActionAid Nigeria; academics, researchers, activists and students; board members and governance structures; community stakeholders and the people we work with; as well as members of the public interested in development work in Nigeria. 
• The publication seeks to serve as both a legacy document and a knowledge product, providing insights into AAN's evolution and impact over the last twenty-five (25) years. 

The documentation should help the audience to: 

• Recognise the transformative impact of ActionAid Nigeria’s work in improving the lives of women, men, youth, and children across communities. 
• Understand the integrity and transparency of ActionAid Nigeria’s processes. The organisation has consistently involved communities in decision-making, ensuring that initiatives are rooted in local needs and priorities. This approach fosters strong community ownership, making the programmes more resilient and self-sustaining, with impacts that endure well beyond the initial intervention. 
• Appreciate ActionAid Nigeria’s profound role in strengthening government institutions. This is not just capacity building; it’s about creating systems that will continue to function long after the organisation’s intervention to ensure a legacy of change. 
• Be compelled to share these stories of change. These stories are not just milestones in a book - they are a clarion call for action. By disseminating them, the audience will help amplify the successes and lessons learned, ensuring that the ripple effects of ActionAid’s work reach far beyond its direct beneficiaries. 
• Be motivated to act and sustain the movement. 
• Donors, partners, and stakeholders should see the continued impact of ActionAid’s work and feel an urgent need to continue supporting the organisation’s mission. 

Requirements
Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Journalism, Literature, Social Sciences, Law or related field. 
• A Master’s degree is an added advantage.

Experience:
The consultant is expected to have and submit the following qualifications: 

• Proven experience in writing biographies, autobiographies or authoring memoirs, organisational histories, or similar works
• Strong interviewing, storytelling, and editorial skills
• Understanding of development work, feminist principles, and a human rights-based approach is an advantage.

Tone and Style:

• The autobiography should be written in a memoir-style tone, blending personal narratives with organisational history.
• The writing should be engaging, reflective, and accessible, avoiding overly technical language.
• It should capture the voices of various stakeholders, providing a multifaceted perspective on AAN's journey.

Technical Compatibility and Deliverables
Deliverables: 

• Interview transcripts
• First draft of the manuscript
• Second draft incorporating feedback
• Final clean manuscript ready for layout and publication​.

Provisional Specifications: 

• ActionAid Nigeria and the writer will co-decide on the final details during a joint planning meeting, as some specifications may evolve throughout the development process.
• The following are initial working parameters, subject to refinement during the planning and writing phases 
• Word Count: Tentatively between 30,000 to 40,000 words
• Page Count: Estimated at 170 to 230 pages, based on an average of 250–300 words per page 

Copyright:

• The writer will provide ActionAid Nigeria with all raw materials, including interview recordings and transcripts. 
• All content developed under this consultancy will be the property of ActionAid Nigeria and cannot be used for commercial or personal purposes without prior consent.

Competencies
Corporate Competencies: 

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling ActionAid’s values and ethical standards
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of ActionAid
• Displays cultural, gender, religious, racial, national, and age sensitivity and adaptability​.

Functional Competencies: 

• Strong interviewing, storytelling, and editorial skills
• Excellent communicator with the ability to write in a compelling and accessible style
• Understanding of development work, feminist principles, and ActionAid’s human rights-based approach is an advantage.

Assignment Location and Provisional Timeline:

• The assignment will commence by June 10, 2025, and should be concluded no later than August 27, 2025, to allow for layout, design, and printing. 
• Specific timelines and milestones will be jointly agreed upon and strictly adhered to.

Work Arrangement & Reporting Lines:

• The writer will report to and work in close consultation with the Communications Committee. 
• Regular check-ins and draft submissions will be scheduled.