Junior Ecosystem and Policy Development Advisor at GIZ Nigeria

Vacancy No: 113

Background
GIZ. Solutions that work:

• As a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world.
• GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security.
• The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe – from the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector, and governments of other countries.
• We work with businesses, civil society actors and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development policy and other policy fields and areas of activity. Our main commissioning party is the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
• The registered offices of GIZ are in Bonn and Eschborn. Our approximately 23,500 employees, almost 70 percent of whom are national personnel, work in a round 120 countries (July 2020) GIZ has worked in Nigeria since 1974.
• Since 2004, GIZ has maintained a country office in the capital city Abuja. Currently 361 national and 66 international employees, 19 regional staff, 4 integrated specialists and 3 development workers are working in the country (June 2020).

The Project

• Agriculture Value Chain Facility (EU-VACE) The German Government and the Nigerian Government addressing ongoing challenges in the Agri-Food System in Nigeria. The German Government through the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is supporting the Nigerian Government and especially the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in the implementation of Nigeria's National Development Plan 2021 - 2025 and the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) among others. Both strategies highlight the relevance of the agricultural sector in overcoming the economic downturn thereby fostering economic diversification.
• The GIZ Cluster “Transformation of Agricultural Systems” is implementing several projects the agriculture and rural development sector with a total budget of over 60 Mio. Euro.
• The projects contribute to better yields and income of small-holder farmers, performance of agri-business, access to Vacancy Announcement 113 finance, promotion of jobs and rural development through a private business driven value-chain approach and with this enhance the regional food supply in the rural target regions as well as transformation of the agrifood system by cross-sectoral approaches.
• The Agriculture Value Chain Facility (EU-VACE) project, co-financed by the European Union and the BMZ seeks to improve sustainable rural economic development by promoting specific agricultural clusters in selected "transition" states in Nigeria.
• The aim is to increase agricultural production, create lucrative employment opportunities and increase the incomes of the rural population thus contributing to food security and strengthening the resilience of the population to external shocks, and at the same time makes an important contribution to the effective transformation of the Nigerian agricultural sector.
• Project activities support existing enterprises to improve the quality and yield of production and subsequent processing and also generate opportunities for new businesses to emerge that will lead to sustainable outcomes in the rural and blue economy. Inclusive development principles ensure responsible approaches to social and environmental sustainability with a focus on the adoption of practices that are resilient to climate change, and which improve biodiversity, and combat desertification and deforestation. Improved opportunities for employment, particularly for women and vulnerable groups, are created at all stages of the value chains with a commitment to develop processing facilities reflecting EU standards in decent work and product quality to improve export opportunities.

Responsibilities

• The Junior Ecosystem and Policy Development Advisor will have the responsibility of improving the business enabling environment for the project’s target groups and beneficiaries in the selected value chains to ensure that policies and regulations are conducive and facilitate/stimulate trade and business growth while ensuring the mainstreaming of climate-smart and sustainable solutions.

This will include:

• Establishing contacts with key stakeholders in the value chains to be promoted
• Conducting analysis of challenges, opportunities and development potential in the selected VCs
• Supporting the establishment of multi-stakeholder platforms and supporting their tasks in terms of content and organization

Tasks

• Support identification of regulatory barriers within the selected VCs that impede the business and investment enabling environment.
• Support policy reviews and assessments and develop reform proposals to improve pro-business approaches by public sector actors and support the implementation and awareness of these policies.
• Set up and conduct multi-tier dialogue platforms and forums for each VC to advocate for pro-business laws, regulations, and policy reforms, implementation and create awareness to promote a conducive business climate and remove barriers that are inimical to the growth and development of the selected agricultural value chains.
• Conduct training and capacity development programmes to strengthen the capacity of public sector actors at the state and federal levels to understand the needs for the transformation of the agriculture and food sector.
• Support organisation of public-private dialogues to promote the co-creation and co-implementation of new/revised policies, enhance relationships and foster trust that promotes a healthy business environment.
• Collaborate with research institutions to increase the availability of rigorous policy analysis and evaluation by strengthening their capacity for evidence-based policymaking and increasing their capacity for agriculture policy research to complement policy formulation and Implementation.
• Support the establishment of PPD platforms to discuss and reduce trade barriers, identify policy gaps and proffer a policy framework for addressing the business environment constraints that affect the selected VCs in order to increase sector competitiveness, create jobs and improve the livelihood of the Base of the Pyramid (BoP).
• Support the development and implementation of regulations/policies for the promotion of Agric business development in the country with a focus on the project’s focal VCs
• Build the capacity of civil society organizations, business membership organizations, private organizations, trade associations and the media to develop and implement policy advocacy activities and amplify their voice in the development/implementation of agriculture policy and the promotion of climate-smart agriculture and inclusivity across the selected VCs.
• Organise and conduct sensitization/awareness campaigns on related regulations/policies to promote implementation and compliance to improve the business/investment climate for the selected project VCS to thrive.
• Provides technical inputs on reports, knowledge documents and activities of the project. • Identify and collaborate with relevant strategic organizations and partners to develop and implement joint activities to address Agric trade barriers and promote climate change adaptation approaches, innovations and systems.
• Perform any other job-related task as may be assigned.

Required Qualifications, Competences, and Experience
Qualifications

• University Degree in Law, Agricultural Economics, Business, or in any other Social Science-related discipline

Professional Experience:

• Not more than three (3) years of work experience
• Knowledge and practical experience of current trends in agriculture policy and agri-business landscape in Nigeria 
• Excellent technical expertise and confidence in communicating and influencing, at all levels, on a complex and rapidly evolving policy ecosystem.
• Extensive and relevant experience in supporting and facilitating multi-stakeholder engagements/processes including interacting with policy- and decision-makers at various levels of government.
• Proven experience in drafting policies, position papers, coordination, networking, and advocacy around agricultural development-related issues

Other Knowledge, Additional Competences:

• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills within the team and with external stakeholders
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English. Additional Nigerian languages would be an added advantage.
• Excellent team spirit and networking capacity
• Strong awareness and passion on gender and other inclusivity considerations