Financial Services Advisor at IITA - International Institute of Tropical Agriculture

Ref: IITA-HR-NRS2020-029
Location: Yola, Adamawa
Recruitment Type: National (1-year renewable contract)
Contract: 1-year renewable contract

Duties
Successful candidate will among other things perform the following duties:

• Identify Financial Institutions that would partner with the Activity in providing access to finance for the beneficiaries;
• Facilitate Financial Institutions’ lending to the Activity’s beneficiaries (smallholder farmers, women and youth micro-entrepreneurs) in the target states of Adamawa and Borno by identifying finance requirements at each stage of the agricultural commodities value chains through a structured assessment, assist beneficiaries in developing bankable proposals, and linking them to sources of finance through negotiating MOUs with qualified/interested financial institutions; determine and provide required technical assistance to prepare beneficiaries for accessing loan fund;
• Identify and negotiate the use of appropriate funding (CBN-Anchor Borrowers Fund, MSME etc) and guarantee mechanisms, such as USAID-DCA, NIRSAL etc as requested by Financial Institutions or deemed appropriate;
• Monitor partner financial institutions and ensure timely disbursement of loan facility to networked farmers, youths and women entrepreneurs;
• Collaborate with partner financial institutions, guarantee agencies to monitor farmers’ use of loan fund and ensure timely payment of loan;
• Team with other Activity staff as necessary and ensure that transactions are concluded, and targets are met;
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor and Chief of Party.

Qualifications

• A Postgraduate Degree in Banking and Finance, Economics, Business Administration or related fields from an accredited university
• The ideal candidate must be a financial service expert with a minimum of seven (7) years working experience as Financial Services Advisor/consultant or a related role in a donor-funded (preferably USAID) market-driven agricultural and livelihood development project in Nigeria.

Competencies:

The ideal candidate must have:

• Identify Financial Institutions that would partner with the Activity in providing access to finance for the beneficiaries;
• Facilitate Financial Institutions’ lending to the Activity’s beneficiaries (smallholder farmers, women and youth micro-entrepreneurs) in the target states of Adamawa and Borno by identifying finance requirements at each stage of the agricultural commodities value chains through a structured assessment, assist beneficiaries in developing bankable proposals, and linking them to sources of finance through negotiating MOUs with qualified/interested financial institutions; determine and provide required technical assistance to prepare beneficiaries for accessing loan fund;
• Identify and negotiate the use of appropriate funding (CBN-Anchor Borrowers Fund, MSME etc) and guarantee mechanisms, such as USAID-DCA, NIRSAL etc as requested by Financial Institutions or deemed appropriate.
• Monitor partner financial institutions and ensure timely disbursement of loan facility to networked farmers, youths and women entrepreneurs.
• Collaborate with partner financial institutions, guarantee agencies to monitor farmers’ use of loan fund and ensure timely payment of loan.
• Team with other Activity staff as necessary and ensure that transactions are concluded, and targets are met.
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor and Chief of Party.

Remuneration

• We offer highly competitive salary with equally attractive benefits and excellent working conditions in a pleasant campus environment.