Consultant Logistics / Event Management Service Provider in the Soy Value Chain at Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA)

Location: Bauchi (Bauchi, Ganjuwa, Katagum and Jama'are)
Assignment: Logistics and Expert Support for Soybean Value Addition Training in Bauchi, Warji, Katagum and Jama'are LGAs
Proposed Level of Effort: 2 days per location for a total of 8 locations
Anticipated Start Date: November, 2019

About the Project

• The Nigeria WAY Project aims to increase the contribution by 16,000 women and youth to Nigeria’s economic growth
• This will be accomplished by improving entrepreneurial and business acumen of women and youth in three agricultural value chains, and by reducing barriers to entry (market and societal/cultural) for their enterprise development
• The 5-year project (2017-2022) is funded by Global Affairs Canada. 

The program’s activities are divided into three main components: 

• Improve the business capacities of Entrepreneurs (ENs) and Small-Scale Businesses (SSBs) in targeted value chains of Rice, Soybean and Groundnuts
• To Improve the business environment of ENs and SSBs in the Bauchi state
• Address the issues of early and forced child marriage in the state through social and transformational dialogue.  

Problem Statement 

• The Nigeria WAY Project is currently working with Entrepreneurs (ENs) and small-Scale Businesses (SSB) including cooperatives involved in agriculture value chains and agribusiness-related activities in Rice, Soybean and Groundnuts. 
• Nigeria WAY’s aim is to develop the Soybean value chain
• Research done by Nigeria WAY suggests that the soybean value chain is still at a rudimentary stage of development in the state even though it grows well, and it is mostly exported to other states or abroad
• Given the widespread child malnutrition and generally poor diet in the state, the Soy value chain has great potential in meeting domestic demand and then processing for the regional and international market
• In practical terms, there are many products which Soy can be processed into and there is very little processing taking place in Bauchi state at this time
• This means that with Soybean’s limited utilization in the daily meals of the household, malnutrition continues to be a very significant challenge in some communities in Bauchi state and this is an opportunity to develop the knowledge base about expanding processing of soy in Bauchi State
• The idea is that if women ENs know how to process soy, they will incorporate it into their domestic diet at the family level and use some for revenue generating activities. 
• It is in the light that MEDA is supporting the government of Bauchi State to widen the scope of soy utilization in terms of the various food recipes and varieties for which soybean can be processed into.  This initiative is also expected to support incorporating soy into the traditional menu for household consumption.  

Objectives of the Assignment
The main objective of this assignment is to train ENs on:

• The uses of soy in the local diet, specifically on the processing of soy into Awara (Soy kebab) and soymilk  2. The best agronomic practices in the production of soybeans
• Training on the nutritional value of soya beans and how this will improve the health standard and nutrition level of the ENs and their families
• To improve and increase the social and economic status of the trained clients and other food vendors (suya, masa, and bean cake vendors)
• Provide easy access to agrotechnology through the Happy cookstoves.

There are some resources to bring to this work:

• Women in Agriculture (WiA) master trainers under the supervision of BSADP who can train and capacitate ENs on various processing techniques that soy is amenable to.  As they are part of government, they are available in every LGA but the mechanisms to engage them must be a private sector one.
• Hire an EN trainer to do the training alongside the WiA women
• Cookstove demonstration by Happy cookstoves to support agrotechnology for rural women.
• The second is a radio program at the community radios to sensitize the community on the various value additions of soy and its nutritional benefits in collaboration with the local government health workers and other parties.

Other:

• MEDA will support soy value addition training in 2 districts each in Warji, Katagum and Jama’are LGAs in a total of 6 locations.  The value addition trainings will be a 2-day facilitation session per location with the women in Agriculture. at the end of the training, a Soy Fair to show case the soy value additions the trainees were trained on; specifically, the soy kebabs (awara) and the soymilk.
• For the 2 locations in Bauchi LGA, the clients would be suya vendors and, kosai or masa women. This will be a 2-day facilitation session only for a total of 50 vendors in two (2) batches of training.
• ENs who are currently stakeholders in the soy value chain are to be targeted to take this further and acquire skills in the variety of ways soy can be processed and incorporated into the daily meals of households. We will therefore be requiring the services of a logistics and planner to organize this event   and ensure smooth implementation of the training and the Fairs.  

Tasks 
The service provider will complete the following tasks: 

• Provide logistics for a soy value addition training in 6 locations in 3 LGAs:
  • Organize the venue for both training and the food fair, showcasing the soy kebab and soymilk for taste with relevant government and public officials
  • Coordinate the training with the Women in Agric (WiA)
  • Support MEDA identified women in participating in the training
• Provide logistics for a soy kebab training in 2 locations in Bauchi LGA for 50 vendors:
  • Organize the venue for both training of the 50 vendors on soy kebab
  • Coordinate the training with the Women in Agric (WiA)
  • Support the identification and mobilization of 50 vendors within communities in Bauchi LGA who are interested in the training.
• Provide required cooking utensils for the cooking demonstration
• Provide ingredients required for the soy utilization training demonstration
• Support the staging of a Soy food fair to take place in 3 locations in the 3 LGAs which influencers and stakeholders are invited to taste the food made from soy:
  • Send invitations to main influencers and other interested parties for a food or soya food fair
  • Set up the venue on the day of the fair organizing the public address system, canopy and all other logistics as will be required for the fair
• Support the training curriculum provided by WiA & the woman EN for the soy processing as well as provide snack and lunch for 50 participants per location for the 2 training days
• Invite about 150 people to each Soy Fair, provide soybean-based snack on the Food Fair day for 150 participants.
• Hire a woman MC who can interact in a participatory way with the women trainees to host the event
• Coordinate the Happy cookstove demonstration during the soy food fair

Criteria for selection would include

• Experience in a similar job;
• Willingness or record of engaging women in similar activities; and
• Cultural understanding of the local communities of Bauchi.

Deliverables:

• 2-day training for Soy processing, and production, nutritional benefits and various value additions of Soy in 3 LGAs
• 2-day training for 50 vendors in Bauchi LGA on soy kebab
• Food fairs in 3 locations to promote the use of Soy in domestic diets held
• Happy cookstove demonstration undertaken, and
• Final report on activities to MEDA.