Consultant for Reviewing Value-Chain Complementarity of Vegetables and Fruit Varieties in Nigeria at International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

REPORTS TO:           Futoshi Yamauchi, Hiroyuki Takeshima

JOB DESCRIPTION:            

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), under the One CGIAR Initiative, “Rethinking Food Markets and Value Chains for Inclusion and Sustainability,” is conducting scoping analyses of the current constraints and potentials of bundles of innovations to transform domestic vegetables and fruits value-chain in Nigeria. The scoping studies include the assessment of challenges and potentials of innovations in the upstream segment of the value chain, specifically those of varietal technologies. The scoping analyses aim to discover key traits of varieties of selected vegetables and fruit commodities used or ready to be released in Nigeria and the complementarity of each of these traits to different types of innovations at the post-harvesting stage of vegetables and fruits value-chain in Nigeria.  

IFPRI is seeking a qualified consultant to conduct this assessment between September 2022 and November 2022. The consultant will assist the IFPRI team in reviewing traits, and characteristics of varieties of selected vegetables and fruits currently used or ready to be introduced in Nigeria, their complementarity with post-harvest innovations, as well as innovative technologies, institutional arrangements and practices used, and policies relevant for breeding of these commodities in Nigeria, and compile the contacts of critical stakeholders in the breeding sector for these commodities and their activities/roles played, and further identify implementation partners for potential innovation interventions.

Scope of work

• Review varieties (improved varieties (both released, and those in the pipeline) and local varieties) for the above commodities, and their genetic traits, qualitative assessments of their adoption levels in Nigeria (based on literature and expert opinions).
• For each trait, review and describe its complementarity with post-harvest innovations (including processing, packing, cooling, marketing).
• Conduct a rapid review of innovative technologies, institutional arrangements, and practices used in breeding of these commodities in Nigeria (as a representative of West Africa), and how existing policies in Nigeria affect the use of these innovative technologies in vegetable breeding
• List and compile contacts of key stakeholders in the breeding sector for these commodities and their activities/roles played, including government (e.g., NARS, universities), private sector (e.g., vegetable seed companies engaging in breeding), and NGOs or projects working on vegetable breeding, and further identify implementation partners for potential innovation interventions.

Required qualifications of the consultant

• Master’s or PhD degree in Crop Science, Plant Breeding, Agricultural Economics or related field plus five years of relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience conducting plant breeding of key vegetable commodities in West Africa within the past 3 years.
• Demonstrated experience conducting review of vegetable varieties in West Africa.
• Excellent interviewing, investigation, and probing skills.
• Experience in building trust and good relations with interviewees and communities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in English.

Preferred qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in coordinating activities in the field.
• Demonstrated experience in effective interaction and coordination with collaborators and project partners.
• Experience in agriculture, vegetable value-chains analyses.
• Proficiency in local languages in Nigeria.

Duration : 3 months (September – November 2022)