Group Savings and Loans Associations (GSLA) and Economic Empowerment Specialist at Food and Agriculture Organization Of the United Nations

Ref No: 1900907
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition: NPP (National Project Personnel)
Grade Level: N/A
Duration: 11 months - Renewable

Organizational Setting

• The crisis in Nigeria, located mainly around the Lake Chad Basin, is a complex emergency characterized by food insecurity, violence and displacement. Furthermore, subsistence based livelihoods are impacted upon by climate-induced desertification, drought, receding lake/water stress. The FAO Lake Chad Strategy 2017-2019 includes ensuring sustainable and equitable access to resources and services as well as sustainable growth of livelihood opportunities are therefore critical priorities.
• FAO’s programming is in support of the government of Nigeria’s policies and programmes that strive to restore and improve sustainable Agriculture and non-agriculture livelihoods that have been lost due to the protracted insurgency in the region and aims to improve food security, employment, and nutrition.
• FAO’s interventions include supporting smallholder farmers (youth, women) in enterprise development and entrepreneurship through improved access to productive resource including finance and markets.

Reporting Lines:

• The Group Savings and Loans Associations (GSLA) and Economic Empowerment Specialist reports to the FAO Representative in Nigeria under the direct supervision of the Deputy FAOR based in Maiduguri. She/He will work closely with the Head of Programme and Sector Leads, relevant government ministries and other stakeholder in developing and maintain quality programming processes in FAO.

Technical Focus:

• The GSLA and Economic Empowerment Specialist will support the mainstreaming of the GSLA methodology, economic empowerment interventions including entrepreneurship/business management training, market linkages and staff & IP capacity building in all FAO interventions in the Northeast

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design, develop relevant and innovative economic empowerment models for FAO Northeast programming with the aim of strengthening resilience.
• Provide direct technical support, training and capacity building to FAO field staff and partners in mainstreaming Group Savings and Loans Association, financial literacy and inclusion, micro economic activities, entrepreneurship training and marketing.
• Contribute to rapid markets assessments and value chain analysis of prioritized commodities or businesses
• Contribute to the development or assessment of business cases
• Contribute to the selection of the sites, the selection of the beneficiaries, their capacity building and their organization in cluster or network or enterprises or cooperatives
• Provide effective technical support to beneficiaries engaged in agri business and marketing.
• Support documentation and sharing of good practices and lessons in economic empowerment.
• Ensure Gender dimensions are integrated in all economic empowerment interventions.
• Contribute to the design, content and delivery and supervision of the training packages for staff, partners and beneficiaries.
• Provide the technical lead in the development and dissemination of investment packages in order to guide communities on diversified livelihood options available.
• Support coaching and mentorship activities for the established businesses
• Prepare or contribute in the preparation of the project and IP progress report.
• Perform any other related duties as require.

Minimum Requirements

• A Master degree in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Business Management, Development Studies with specialisation in business development and / or marketing,
• Five years relevant experience related to both entrepreneurial development, small scale enterprises development and agricultural commodities marketing with emphasis on rural development within small holder production and marketing schemes.
• National of Nigeria.

FAO Core Competencies:

• Adequate competence in communication, planning and reporting in English and mother language
• Knowledge of computer skills (MS Office package: word, excel and power point).
• Experience with similar internationally funded development projects will be an added advantage
• Experience and competences in working with women and youths groups will be an advantage.

Technical/Functional Skills:

• Excellent interpersonal skills and Team spirit
• Experience of projects involving multiple and diverse stakeholders including
• Governments, private sector, civil society and end users.
• Knowledge of one of the major languages (for e.g. Kanuri, Hausa) spoken in the northeast states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe would be highly desirable