Consultant to Research and Develop a Policy Brief on Community-Centered Just Energy Transition

**Scope:** Consultant to Research and Develop a Policy Brief on Community-Centered Just Energy Transition

**Location:** Nigeria/Remote
**Application Close**: July 2, 2026

**Background**
The global transition towards renewable energy and low-carbon development pathways is rapidly reshaping demand for critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, manganese, and other resources essential to clean energy technologies. Across West Africa, and particularly in Nigeria, this transition is generating renewed interest in mineral extraction as governments and investors seek to position themselves within emerging global supply chains for the energy transition.
While the transition presents opportunities for economic growth, industrial development, and climate action, it also raises important questions about justice, equity, and community rights. Mining host communities, who bear the direct environmental, social, and economic impacts of extraction, continue to face challenges relating to environmental degradation, land dispossession, loss of livelihoods, insecurity, inadequate benefit-sharing, and exclusion from decision-making processes. As demand for transition minerals intensifies, there is a growing risk that existing patterns of extractive injustice could be reproduced under the banner of the green economy.

These challenges reflect longstanding governance gaps that have often positioned communities at the margins of mineral governance despite their role as custodians of local lands, resources, and ecosystems. Weak implementation of safeguards such as Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), limited access to information, inadequate participation in environmental decision-making, and weak accountability mechanisms continue to undermine community rights and resilience. In many instances, communities remain excluded from discussions and policy processes that will ultimately determine how the energy transition unfolds within their territories.

A truly just energy transition requires that communities are not treated merely as sites of extraction or beneficiaries of development interventions, but as rights holders and active participants in shaping energy, climate, and mineral governance. Community-centered approaches recognize the importance of meaningful participation, environmental justice, equitable benefit-sharing, social inclusion, gender responsiveness, and respect for human rights throughout the transition process.
Although Nigeria has adopted various policies and commitments relating to climate action, renewable energy development, and mineral sector reform, there remains limited analysis of how these frameworks address the interests, rights, and priorities of mining host communities and other affected populations. There is also a growing need for evidence-based policy recommendations that can guide government institutions, industry actors, civil society organizations, and communities towards more equitable and inclusive energy transition pathways.

It is against this backdrop that Global Rights seeks to commission a consultant to undertake research and develop a Policy Brief on Community-Centered Just Energy Transition in Nigeria. The policy brief will examine the opportunities, risks, governance gaps, and policy implications associated with the energy transition and critical mineral development, while generating practical recommendations for ensuring that communities are placed at the center of decision-making, benefit-sharing, environmental stewardship, and sustainable development outcomes.

**Objectives**
The consultancy shall seek to:

1. Examine the implications of the global energy transition and growing demand for critical minerals on communities in Nigeria.
2. Assess the current legal, policy, institutional, and governance frameworks relevant to energy transition, climate action, renewable energy development, mining governance, and community rights.
3. Analyze opportunities, risks, and emerging challenges associated with energy transition initiatives and critical mineral extraction for affected communities.
4. Assess the extent to which principles of participation, equity, human rights, environmental justice, gender inclusion, and benefit-sharing are reflected in existing policies and practices.
5. Document community perspectives, concerns, expectations, and experiences relating to energy transition and critical mineral development.
6. Identify policy, governance, and implementation gaps that may undermine a just and community-centered transition.
7. Generate practical policy recommendations and advocacy entry points to advance equitable and community-centered energy transition processes in Nigeria.

**Scope of Work**
The consultant will be expected to undertake the following tasks:

- Conduct a comprehensive desk review of relevant literature, policies, laws, regulations, reports, frameworks, and international standards relating to: Energy transition, Climate change and c