Project Coordinator at Sahel Capital

Locations: Oyo and Kano with regular travel to Lagos (Project Management Office) and across Nigeria as will be required.

Job Description

• The Nigerian Dairy Development Program (NDDP) is a 2-year program geared towards improving the livelihoods of smallholder dairy farmers in Nigeria by improving the productivity of their cattle and integrating them into the formal dairy value chain in Nigeria.
• The Project also includes a nutrition component and gender component which are geared towards improving nutrition outcomes and promoting women empowerment in smallholder farming communities
• This project is implemented by Sahel Capital Partners & Advisory Ltd. and a consortium of other partners.
• The project seeks to boost the yields and incomes of smallholder farmers, increase nutrition outcomes and empower women involved in agriculture in Africa

Role Summary

• Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the Project Coordinators will ensure high quality implementation of the Dairy Development Program in Oyo and Kano States.
• The project coordinator will be responsible for the day-to-day running of all aspects of program. He/she will lead the planning, coordination of, management and reporting of project activities at the state level, engaging with beneficiaries and partnering processors on the one hand and reporting to Program Management Office (PMO) on the other hand with the objective of achieving project goals.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities
Program Implementation:

• Coordinate project activities in Oyo and/or Kano state, ensuring adherence to technical standards, best practices and donor guidelines.
• Lead the engagement with the implementing partners, service providers and other key stakeholders including federal, state and local governments and other entities involved in the program’s activities in Oyo and/or Kano state to deliver on the targets for the program
• In coordination with the PMO, the Project Coordinators will facilitate the development of project strategies, plan technical capacity building interventions, activities and policies related to increasing the production and productivity of smallholder dairy farmers.
• The Project Coordinators in collaboration with the D&LS will work with the processors to train local resource persons, leader farmers and community livestock workers to provide capacity building trainings on herd management, dairy nutrition, silage, fodder and feed management, health management etc. with a focus on improving milk production, yields and quality as well as ensuring adequate women representation in capacity building initiatives undertaken as part of the project.
• Support the process of developing a dairy management curriculum among other teaching materials in English and other languages to support the process of delivering training and capacity building support to farmers, extension officers and other stakeholders involved in the project.
• The Program Coordinators with the support of PMO will lead the implementation of other project activities, including the gender and nutrition components of the program in Oyo and/or Kano.
• Maintain good relations with project beneficiaries, partner organizations, and other stakeholders.

Documentation, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:

• Abide by donor requirements/regulations as well as Sahel’s procedures and policies for compliance, including financial, procurement etc.
• Support the program manager in the grant award and management process to implementing partners and contractors involved in the project. Ensure effective utilization of project funds by grantees.
• Support the Program Manager in planning, reviewing and tracking progress on project, implementation as well as on the utilization of project resources, effective financial management and reporting.
• Assist the Program Manager in preparing quarterly and annual progress reports
• Report on follow up, trainings, support provided to groups, monitoring and evaluation activities, livestock and farm productivity at the community level.
• Document success stories and case studies.
• Maintain up to date documentation related to project approval, monitoring and implementation.
• Building daily progress reports into quarterly, annual and final reports and respond to the queries related to project particularly technical aspects of the project.
• Ensure that all project documentation is well organized and easy to access on the portal.

Minimum Qualification and Requirements
Candidates should have:

• A University degree in Agriculture or related field with 3 years’ relevant experience at field level of community development with a strong understanding of social development
• Strong networks with key stakeholders in the agriculture landscape in both the public, private and development sector. Experience in collaborating and managing relationships with federal and state governments, donors, private sector and other key stakeholders
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, training and facilitation skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel and Outlook
• Excellent personal organizational skills and ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• High level of interpersonal skills with the ability to work across cultures and religions, with strong communication and listening abilities, good problem solving approach and conflict resolution at individual and community level
• Strong program management skills and high level of analytical skills in planning and project implementation
• Ability to be flexible, respond professionally, and establish priorities in often fluid, changing, and challenging situations with little clear guidance is necessary.
• Ability to work calmly, tactfully, and effectively under pressure and to demonstrate extreme flexibility in managing more than one activity.
• Sound knowledge of local environment
• Willingness and enthusiasm for working with rural and vulnerable communities living in remote areas of the country.
• Proficiency in the English language (required) and Yoruba and Hausa (preferred)