Senior Agribusiness Officer - OSAN at African Development Bank - AfDB

Objectives

• The role of the Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department (OSAN) is to contribute to the fulfillment of the African Development Bank's objectives to be the leading development finance institution in Africa, dedicated to providing quality assistance to African Regional member countries in their poverty alleviation efforts.
• This will be realized through the Bank’s 2013-2022 Strategy which prioritizes inclusive and green development, particularly its area of special emphasis on agriculture and food security as well as the Bank’s five point agenda: Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa, Power Africa and Improve Quality of Life in Africa.
• Using agribusiness and agro-industry development as an entry point, this role will be key in supporting Regional Member Countries (RMCs) create enabling policy regulatory and financing frameworks needed to scale up the collective business activities that will transform farm outputs and deliver to final consumers.
• Using a value-chain approach, this role will seek to design and support RMC’s activities that reinforce agricultural transformation agenda, including:
  • Support development of agro-allied industrial zones and agricultural corridors
  • Increase commercial financing to the agriculture sector by establishing an African Agricultural Risk Sharing Facility to de-risk the agricultural value chains
  • Support Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa
  • Central Banks special funds to support long term agricultural loans with longer term maturity
  • Develop Agribusiness Diaspora Bonds to securitize remittance flows for investments in African agriculture and agribusiness
  • Increase the deployment of financing to the agriculture and agribusiness sector through private equity funds to support critical infrastructure development
  • Support more functional Agricultural Development Banks, where appropriate,
  • Scale up the establishment of Warehouse Receipt Financing and Agricultural Commodity Exchanges
  • Scale up Skills Enhancement for Youths in Agriculture and establish an African Youth in Agriculture Financing Facility.

Duties and Responsibilities
Reporting administratively to the Country Director of the Nigeria Country Office and under the general supervision of the Division Manager, OSAN.2, the incumbent’s role includes but not limited to:

• Undertake analytical work in agriculture and agribusiness sector, with a view to determining its level of priority in the country’s development program, and advise Management on how to ensure sustainability of benefits of Bank financed agricultural projects and programs in Nigeria.
• Contribute to the preparation of Country Strategy Paper, with particular reference to agriculture and agribusiness development.
• Formulate, evaluate and supervise projects, lending proposals, feasibility studies and agribusiness sector work.
• Provide inputs in the review of tender evaluation reports and undertake the evaluation of technical and financial proposals for contracts relating to project implementation.
• Participate in the Agricultural Sector Working Group activities and related donor-coordination meetings to strengthen partnerships in the sector.
• Assist where required in the development of the Bank’s policies, procedures and guidelines, and ensure their application.
• Assist the department of Agriculture and Agro-Industry in the analysis of key agribusiness and agro-industrial challenges facing Africa.
• Perform analysis of selected agricultural sectors/food chains, including food security and food safety issues and assess the feasibility of agribusiness investment projects.
• Analyse the constraints and opportunities related to agribusiness investment options with emphasis on the functionality of markets, support services, trade policies, market institutions and organizations, risk management systems and private sector engagement.
• Support the financing of major aspects of agro-industrial development of the African continent with focus on value addition and processing, regional commodity exchanges.
• Support the structuring of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agribusiness projects, to catalyse private sector investment.
• In relation to the Bank’s country and regional strategy, identify, prepare and appraise agribusiness and agro industry sub-sector operations.
• Assist Regional Member Countries to radically boost their agribusiness and agro-industries as a platform for job creation, improved livelihood and broad-based economic growth and development.
• Undertake analysis and sector studies to orient the Bank’s strategy of intervention in the area of agribusiness and agro-industry development for Africa.
• Advice and develop concepts on the design of strategies and policies related to agricultural marketing and inclusive and sustainable agri-food value chain development.
• Contribute with technical inputs to Bank Group’s operational activities relating agro-industrial development, through the review of the technical design and institutional arrangements for agricultural programmes proposed for Bank’s funding.
• Set up and maintain strategic collaboration with relevant partners in the area of agribusiness, agro-industry and the Bank’s private sector department.
• Organize agribusiness and agro-business development seminars, make presentations and represent the Bank in those meetings.
• Collaborate with other Bank’s Units in reviewing the operations performance, preparing completion reports, etc., so as to ensure that the lessons drawn from the implementation of past operations are taken into account in new projects.
• Undertake any other assignments as may be assigned by the Division Manager.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

• A minimum of Master's degree or equivalent in Agribusiness/Agro-industry/Agriculture with a major in Agricultural Economics or Development Economics or relevant Social-related discipline.
• A minimum of 5 (five) years of relevant experience and broad professional experience in agribusiness and/or agro-industry development, linkage with the private sector, project formulation, preparation, appraisal and management.
• Ability to apply innovative approaches, ability to work in team, analyse and summarize.
• Good interpersonal communication and project management skills.
• Demonstrated attention to details.
• Strong leadership and coaching skills, with a proven track record of working with economic teams and creating an empowering and self-development oriented work environment.
• Proficiency in the use of standard Microsoft software, especially MS Office environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and / or French with a good working knowledge of the other language.