JD Unique ID: 79031
Job title: Agribusiness Officer
Company: Self Help Africa
Location: Kano, Nigeria
Contract type: Fixed term contract, full-time (local recruitment)
Period: 18 months, subject to donor contract
Remuneration: ₦6.5m to ₦8.8m annual gross
Reports to: Project Coordinator
About Self Help Africa
Established in 1984, Self Help Africa is an international development organisation that works through agriculture and agri-enterprise development to address hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impacts of climate change. We believe that equitable economic development is key to lifting communities out of long-term poverty, empowering them to take control of their futures and improving their quality of life.
In early 2023 we launched a new five-year organisation strategy, which defines shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based and enterprise- focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and incomes, while sustaining natural resources.
Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries Partner Africa, which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, and CUMO, Malawi’s largest micro-finance provider.
Our three core values are:
- Impact: We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change.
- Innovation: We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever-changing World.
- Community: We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships.
Project description
SHA is partnering with the World Food Programme to implement the Strengthening Food Systems project to Promote Increased Value Chain Employment Opportunities for the Youth in Kano State. The project aims to strengthen food systems that promote increased value chain employment opportunities for the youth; sustaining and improving on-farm and off-farm job opportunities for 50,000 young women and young men engaged in the different nodes of sorghum, millet, soya bean, groundnut, and horticulture value chains.
The project will focus on capacity building interventions for existing enterprises, using this as an avenue to create employment opportunities for youth and women in Kano State.
Job purpose
SHA is looking for a dynamic, high performing individual to fill the role of Agribusiness Officer. The post holder will unlock agribusiness opportunities that will involve women and youth across different nodes of sorghum, millet, soya bean, groundnut, and horticulture value chains. The ideal candidate will have a track record of working with micro, small and medium enterprises in the agricultural sector across a range of value chains.
Key Responsibilities
Agribusiness Support
• Establish and maintain processes and systems which ensure strong continued linkages between participants and Market actors across all the value chains of implementation.
• Map and identify market actors of agribusinesses and provide advisory on tailor made support to MSMEs with a focus on access to market, market information service and access to financial management services.
• Facilitate participants’ linkage to financial institutions to unlock opportunities and access to financial products while fostering good partnership between SHA and the financial institution.
• Provide advisory for agribusiness owners to improve in agricultural ventures through B2B and other relevant techniques.
• Provide advisory for enterprises in accessing market information through market intelligence sources and digital platforms.
• Support to ensure high level of accountability to participants, stakeholders and donor ensuring effective feedback mechanism, regular communication, timely production and submission of plans, reports and assessment.
• Provide advisory to facilitate linkages between Aggregators and major off-takers to increased access to market.
• In collaboration with capacity building team, facilitate training on marketing skills, negotiations skills and Digital marketing.
Stakeholder Collaboration
• Leverage experience and understanding of Agribusiness and service providers within the Agricultural space.
• Map and identify main Agribusiness players/actors/partner institutions to offer Agribusiness trainings and additional business development services.
• Collaborate with financial institutions, government agencies, private sectors and others to create linkages between MSMEs and funding providers.
• Identify and facilitate input/equipment financing schemes for MSMEs.
Effective Implementation and Programme Quality
• Coordinate business collaboration and work closely with the Program Manager on the overall project strategy on Agribusiness.
• Coordinate monitoring and evaluation Support to ensure quality assurance and oversight on business collaboration and partnerships, which includes regular field visits in Kano.
• Coordinate project documentation and maintain an updated database for market actors in agribusiness across the 5 value chains.
Transparency, Compliance and safeguarding
• Employ the highest standards of openness, transparency and accountability to ensure good financial management in line with SHA’s zero-tolerance approach to fraud, bribery and corruption.
• Demonstrate commitment to safeguarding, protection, gender mainstreaming and inclusion of vulnerable population including people with disabilities.
• Provide support to establish feedback, complaints and response mechanism across communities of implementation to ensure programmatic and operational decisions are informed by local perspectives and priorities and contribute to the protection of program participants at the LGA level.
Accountability
In line with Self Help Africa’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), the job holder will:
• actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle (planning, implementation, M&E).
• work with relevant colleagues to ensure that the Community Feedback and Response Mechanism (CFRM) is functional and accessible, that feedback and complaints are welcomed and addressed.
• work with relevant colleagues to ensure that information about CFRM, safeguarding and expected staff behaviour is disseminated among programme participants and communities.
Key relationships
Internal:Programme, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning, Finance & Admin, Procurement, HR & Admin, Security and Communications teams.
External: World Food Programme, Government Agencies, Private Sector Partners, Entrepreneurship and Agribusiness Networks, Educational Institutions, Consultants and Subject Matter Experts, International Development Organisations.
Knowledge, Experience and Other Requirements
Qualifications and Experience:
• University degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Agric Extension or Agricultural Sciences related field.
• A minimum of 4 years proven experience working in Agribusiness space supporting agripreneurs in unlocking opportunities within the Agricultural sector.
• High level of computer literacy with a solid command of Microsoft Office suite.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Professional experience in learner-centred training methodologies and coaching.
• Familiarity with the local context and communities in Kano State.
• Understand agribusiness opportunities across the selected value chains in Kano.
Skills:
• Excellent leadership and coordination skills (and ability to coordinate several tasks at once and managing priorities)
• Effective communication, problem solving and decision-making skills and diplomacy in communication
• Respect for cultural diversity and gender sensitivity
• Team leadership and mentoring
• Monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning
• Communication, networking, facilitation and mobilisation.
• Organisational development
• Reporting and documentation
Desirable:
• Gender and intercultural sensitivity
• Positive outlook and team spirit
• Adaptable and responsive disposition relative to the demands of the Programme
• Women are strongly advised to apply.
Language Requirements:
Excellent written and oral proficiency in English and Hausa language is required.
Application Procedure:
Please fill and send the attached Self Help Africa application form and also send your cover letter and CV in a single document (of not more than 6 pages) to this link.
Job description is available for download here.
The deadline for this application is 4th August 2025. You are advised to apply early, as applications will be treated on roll-in basis. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
All candidates offered a job with Self Help Africa will be expected to sign our Safeguarding Policies and Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. Specific roles may require Police/DBS/ [relevant police authority] vetting.
Self Help Africa strives to be an equal opportunities employer
