Consultant - Building Economically Sustainable Seed Systems for Cassava (BASICS-II) Private Sector Promoter Services at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Job Overview

• CRS agriculture program in Nigeria started in 2009 with the Emergency Rice Initiative implemented in collaboration with AfricaRice, the IFDC, the National Cereal Research Institute Badeggi and the Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority. Between 2012 and 2016 CRS implemented the SCSS project funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) in Benue and Oyo States in collaboration with National Root Crop Research Institute, National Agricultural Seeds Council, State Agricultural Development Programs and local NGOs.
• CRS also, as sub-recipient to International Potato Centre (CIP), implemented the Village Seed Entrepreneur (VSE) component of Building an Economically Sustainable Integrated Cassava Seed System (BASICS) Project in Benue state from April 2016 to May 2020. Currently, CRS is implementing the Development of Cassava Seed Entrepreneur (DCSE) component of Building Economically Sustainable Seed Systems for Cassava (BASICS-II) for the next five years being led by IITA.
• BASICS-II project will be implemented in Nigeria and Tanzania. BASICS-II project covers the entire cassava seed value chain, ranging from breeder to certified/farmer seed. The project's vision is to provide farmers with access to affordable, quality-assured seeds of the cassava varieties in demand by local food and processor markets through the establishment of a commercially viable seed value chain operating across breeder, foundation, and commercial seed levels. This value chain will enable more efficient dissemination and adoption of new varieties to improve productivity, raise incomes of cassava growers and seed entrepreneurs, enhance gender equity, and contribute to inclusive agricultural transformation in Nigeria and Tanzania.
• The DCSE component of the BASICS-II project which is being implemented by CRS will include the aggregation of CSEs and cover production and marketing of certified planting materials of improved cassava varieties to farmers within and outside of Kogi and Benue states. In implementing the componet, CRS will identify, train and work with the Cassava Seed Entreprenures (CSEs) to plan and organize their seed production and marketing activities.
• The strategic objective of the DCSE component for Nigeria is to more than double the number of decentralized, commercially viable seed enterprises in Nigeria, while they increase in average size and aggregate into associations to facilitate marketing, quality control, and other services.

The project seeks to engage the services of Private Extension Service Promoter (PESP) in Benue and Kogi States. The PESP will:

• Be responsible for providing necessary briefing and mobilization of CSEs in the State of assignment,
• Be responsible for training and supporting the development of at least one new SEN in a new cassava growing area in the State of assignment,
• Be responsible for growing of existing networks and formation of new networks in the State of assignment,
• Be trained and also be responsible for providing required capacity strengthening of the networks in the State of assignment,
• Support the marketing of the CSE stems within and outside the State of assignment, and
• Support the CSEs and SENs in regualr updates of basics farm and network reecords.