The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is a multinational and an independent non-profit organization with over 45 years of experience in profitable and sustainable crop production approaches by combining sound research and innovative technologies in integrated soil fertility management, better climate adaptation and sustainable natural resource management practices, including integrated pest management approaches and development of inclusive market systems resilience. IFDC is market leader in agro-inputs and smallholder farmers’ productivity optimization in Nigeria and many other developing countries in Africa and Asia. As a result, IFDC has over the years built a solid network of agro-input producers, dealers, farmers, farmer-based organizations, off-takers and processers in Nigeria and around the globe.
We are recruiting to fill the position of:
Job Title: Component 3 Lead (Inclusive Finance)
Job ID: 20120827
Location: Abuja
Type of contract: Full Time
Duration: 4 years
Expected Start Date: 01 November 2021
Expected End Date: 31 October 2025
Program: HortiNigeria
Donor: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria
Reporting to: Project Director
Programme Discription
- IFDC and its consortium partners have secured funding from EKN Nigeria to implement a transformational horticultural program in Nigeria by introducing innovative, sustainable and profitable horticultural productivity and resilient market system value chain approaches leading to a sustainable transition of Nigeria’s food system; thus, from a system based on food imports, low productivity and depletion of natural resources, to an integrated sustainable food system, capable of providing sufficient, healthy and nutritious food to a growing (urban) population.
- For this reason, IFDC has decided to hire you for the position of a Component 3 Lead (Inclusive Finance) to support implementation of the HortiNigeria programme.
Duties and Responsibilities
Responsible for implementing activities that will increase access to finance for SME companies that invest in solving value-chain bottlenecks at regional and national level. Specifically, you are expected to perform the following roles:
- Ensure to target small- and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are active in the entire vegetable value chain (input supply, advisory services, aggregation, storage, logistics, processing and market access). Note that limited financial management capacity and access to finance are the main obstacles preventing these companies from expanding and innovating.
- Train farmers and SMEs on financial capacity management and business support, provide technical assistance of financial service providers, broker investment deals.
- Facilitate and expand the inflow to the horticulture sector, of (semi-) commercial capital, which will remain available after the project ends.
- Ensure that private sector investments are made along the value chains. There is a preference for an approach that works directly with SMEs and financial service providers to raise (semi-) commercial capital for actualizing company expansion and innovation plans.
- Involve and create opportunities for youth as well as women-led companies.
- Work hand-in-hand with Leads of Component 1 (Increasing Productivity and Incomes in Kaduna and Kano) and Component 2 (Piloting Production Systems Innovations and Regional Diversification in Ogun and Oyo States) to prioritize and implement initiatives that have national focus
- Implement all component 3 activities to achieve expected results as stated in the project documents
- All other duties as might be assigned by the Project Director.
Requirements
- Preferably an Advanced Degree in Agriculture
- A minimum of 7 years of experience in implementing agricultural projects, preferably horticultural projects.
- Good understanding of the Development Objectives of the Netherlands; preferably, experience in implementation of Dutch Development Programs
- Experience in Nigeria is preferred
- Senior Management experience
- Strong proficiency in English language
- Strong knowledge of security matters; reasonable travel experience
Application Closing Date
31st August, 2022.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online