Agricultural Policy Advisor at GIZ Nigeria

The global project "Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Agricultural Policy" (GV AgSys) supports partner countries in transformation processes towards sustainable agricultural systems.

AgSys’ vision for transformation is based on the understanding that current agricultural practices are not fit to feed a growing population with a nutritious diet while respecting planetary boundaries. Agri-food systems that feed people well and do not overuse natural resources, require a transformation of current practices and frameworks. 

At the country level, AgSys takes up and strengthens previous innovations and partnerships of the German and international development cooperation and complements them by policy advice at the state and federal level. At the global level, the country contributions are connected to regional exchange formats and supported by advisory inputs from global knowledge hubs. In this way, reform approaches in the partner countries are linked to global agendas and their feasibility is improved.

The country measure of AgSys is part of a cluster of eight other GIZ projects, intervening at different levels of the Nigerian and ECOWAS agri-food system to improve the competitiveness of agri-businesses in selected value chains, develop climate-smart innovations and improve access to finance for small agricultural producers and agri-businesses and thus contribute to the transformation of the Nigerian agri-food systems.

 Responsibilities & tasks:

Responsibilities

The policy advisor is responsible for

• leading the policy and technical dialogue with the Feder Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), other ministries as well as international partners across all outputs and for the new cluster of 8 GIZ projects to foster agri-food system transformation,
• advising the FMAFS on effective inter-ministerial cooperation, specifically with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning (FMBP) - and specifically its Steering Committee on Food System Transformation - as well as with the Federal Ministry of Environment (FME) as well as on effective cooperation with the federal states on agri-food system transformation,
• managing activities of project output 1 “Transformative Agricultural Policy” as well as output 4 “Harmonisation of financial support”,
• coordination with other national and international stakeholders in the sector in relevant forums such as the Agriculture Donor Working Group (ADWG) and the National Forum on Agriculture, Cooperative Affaires or Climate Change.

The professional advisor performs the following tasks:

Tasks

Advising partner institutions

The policy advisor

• assists and monitors the work of the Steering Committee on Food System Transformation under the FMBP in implementing the “National Pathways to Food System Transformation Document” in close cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
• advises and supports the FMAFS in the development of legal texts (proclamations, directives etc.), policies and strategies related to agri-food system transformation,
• advises and supports the development and implementation of crop or sector specific policies and/or strategies, such as the National Potato Strategy,
• advises and supports other projects of the GIZ cluster with regards to their strategic and policy interventions with the FMAS and other federal ministries,
• advises the FMAFS on effective inter-ministerial cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning (FMBP) - and specifically its Steering Committee on Food System Transformation - as well as with the Federal Ministry of Environment (FME) as well as on effective cooperation with the federal states on agri-food system transformation,
• advises any partner organizations of the AgSys project on how to effectively use national forums such as the National Council on Agriculture to express their interests and further the agri-food system transformation agenda,
• supports any other initiative of the project or cluster related to transformative agricultural policy or harmonization of financial support for agri-food system transformation.

Networking and cooperation

The advisor

• represents the project and the cluster towards national and international partners upon request of the project manager or cluster coordinator,
• establishes and maintains excellent working relationships with senior staff of the FMAFS and other relevant ministries as well as agencies and state governments,
• supports cooperation, regular contact and dialogue with all relevant partners, assists with PR work and cooperates with relevant organisations, non-governmental agencies in the project environment and with other projects to improve and maintain good working relationships,
• leads the preparation of publications (such as policy briefs) directed at an expert audience contributing to eminent debates in agri-food system transformation,
• networks proactively with international experts and policy advisors of other country measures of the global programme and uses this network proactively for the achievement of the project objectives,
• stays abreast of relevant developments related to frame conditions (incl. policies and regulations) of the Nigerian agricultural sector and informs the project manager, cluster coordinator and the technical team on a regular basis.

Management & Coordination

The policy advisor

• plans and implements activities of output 1 “Transformative Agricultural Policy” and output 4 “Harmonization of Financial Support to Agriculture” according to the project proposal and orientations from the project manager as well as in cooperation with the project’s political and implementation partners,
• plans and monitors the budget for all activities of output 1 & 4, ensures the achievement of results for output 1 & 4 as defined by the project proposal and results matrix/log-frame,
• ensures the full alignment of interventions in output 1 & 4 with other project activities and other projects in the cluster, provides all information and data required for the monitoring and evaluation as well as annual reporting for output 1 & 4 in a diligent and timely manner,
• proactively suggests and supports communication and PR activities (incl. social media posts) for output 1 & 4,
• documents, manages and shares knowledge related to output 1 & 4 and uses MS Teams as well as IDA proactively for this purpose,
• technically supervises and coaches a junior advisor to support with the planning and implementation of all activities of output 1 & 4.

Additional tasks

The policy advisor

• prepares and updates when necessary the project implementation agreement in cooperation with the project manager and assures a smooth communication and agreement with the political partner,
• monitors the partner contributions as agreed in the implementation agreement,
• supervises the preparation of regular steering meetings with the political partner according to the steering structure,
• supports the project manager in strategic and operational planning of the project,
• supports the project manager with any other tasks that go beyond the scope of this job description,
• engages in working groups and other collaborative efforts at cluster level.

Required qualifications, competences, and experience:

Qualifications

• Masters’ or higher degree in agriculture, plant science, agricultural economics, law, or closely related field

Professional experience

 At least 10 years’ professional experience in Nigerian agricultural sector,

• At least 5 years’ professional experience in a senior position either in a federal public institution or in comparable position advising or consulting on agricultural policies,
• Excellent knowledge of the institutional landscape and legal and regulatory framework of the Nigerian agricultural sector,
• Extensive professional network in the Nigerian agricultural sector and specifically to public institutions,
• At least one proven experience of contributing to the development of a policy/legal document in a leading role,
• A relevant publication record is an asset,
• Proven experience in project management, including budget and staff management.

Other knowledge, additional competences

• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to speak and present in front of large and high-level audiences,
• Excellent organizational and prioritization skills as well as the ability to multi-task,
• Very good working knowledge of ITC technologies (especially all MS Office applications),
• Excellent proficiency in written and spoken English, knowledge of French is an asset,
• Willingness to increase knowledge on GIZ’s rules and procedures and apply them independently in procurement and other processes,
• Willingness to learn in a highly independent manner and to deepen technical knowledge on agri-food systems transformation globally and in contexts beyond Nigeria,
• Willingness to work collaboratively in a close-knit team with flat hierarchies,
• Willingness to perform any tasks required by the management beyond the scope of this job description.