Livestock-Veterinary Officer (Yobe) at Action Against Hunger | ACF-International

Work location: Damaturu, Yobe State
Key Responsibilities:
Implementation of Livestock and Fish Farming Interventions

• Lead the training of livestock farmers on improved animal husbandry practices, disease prevention, and livestock production techniques to enhance productivity and resilience.
• Coordinate the delivery of animal health services by training local para-veterinary workers and providing veterinary kits to improve animal health outcomes in the project areas.
• Oversee the construction and rehabilitation of livestock infrastructure, including vaccination parks, watering points, and animal shelters to support sustainable livestock management.
• Implement fish health management programs, ensuring that fish farmers are trained on sustainable fish production techniques, fish pond maintenance, and fish disease prevention.
• Support small-scale farmers in integrating livestock and fish farming with agricultural activities, encouraging the use of organic manure and crop by-products to improve both crop and animal production.

Capacity Building and Technical Support

• Train community-based animal health workers and para-vets on basic veterinary services, livestock disease management, and best practices in animal health, ensuring they are equipped to serve local livestock owners.
• Provide technical support to livestock farmers and fish producers on breeding, feeding practices, and improving the productivity of their livestock and fish farming operations.
• Organize regular workshops and refresher courses for para-vets, livestock farmers, and fish farmers to ensure they remain up-to-date with the latest animal health and fish farming techniques.
• Promote climate-resilient livestock management practices that help farmers adapt to environmental changes and reduce the risks of disease outbreaks.
• Ensure that women and youth are actively involved in livestock and fish farming training sessions, promoting inclusive participation and equal access to livelihood opportunities.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Monitor the health and productivity of livestock and fish farming units in the target areas, conducting regular assessments to identify emerging animal and fish health challenges and proposing solutions.
• Collect data on livestock health, fish productivity, and overall project impact, ensuring timely and accurate reporting to the Agriculture Specialist and Programme Manager.
• Contribute to the development of monitoring tools and data collection methodologies for livestock and fish farming activities, ensuring that gender-sensitive indicators are integrated.
• Ensure the proper documentation of veterinary services provided to livestock farmers and fish producers, maintaining accurate records of vaccination, deworming, and disease treatment activities.
• Provide regular feedback to the project team on livestock and fish farming interventions, identifying areas for improvement and making recommendations for enhanced project impact.

Community Engagement and Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work closely with community leaders, livestock associations, fish farming groups, and local authorities to raise awareness of the importance of animal health, fish health, and sustainable livestock and fish farming practices.
• Support the formation of livestock producer and fish farmer groups, helping them to access markets, veterinary services, and training opportunities to improve their livelihoods.
• Facilitate regular meetings and dialogues between local para-vets, farmers, fish producers, and government agricultural and veterinary officials to ensure collaboration and address any challenges in livestock and fish health services.
• Advocate for gender-sensitive approaches in livestock and fish farming activities, ensuring that women and youth are included in decision-making processes and benefit from the interventions.
• Represent the project in livestock and fish farming forums and technical working groups, ensuring that the project’s objectives and achievements are communicated to a broader audience.

 Sustainability and Innovation

• Promote the use of sustainable livestock and fish farming practices, such as integrating livestock with agriculture to enhance food security and environmental sustainability.
• Encourage the adoption of innovative livestock and fish farming technologies, such as improved breeding techniques, disease-resistant livestock and fish breeds, and environmentally-friendly farming inputs.
• Work with local researchers, extension workers, and agricultural institutions to introduce and promote context-specific livestock and fish farming innovations that address local challenges.
• Support the development of business models for livestock and fish farmers, helping them access credit, markets, and value-added opportunities to improve their economic resilience.
• Promote disaster risk reduction measures in livestock and fish farming systems, ensuring that farmers are equipped to manage and mitigate the impacts of climate shocks and other environmental challenges.

Additional Responsibilities

• This job description is not intended to be all inclusive and the employee will also perform other related tasks as required and responsible for reporting and communication of progress and achievement of the specific assigned task.
• Maintenance of high technical standards.
• Conduct all duties in a professional manner following ACF Nigeria mission staff regulations, ACF mandate and charter including promotion of gender equality.

Position Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary Science, Animal Health, Animal Science OR related field
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in livestock, food security, livelihoods, and agro-related interventions, with a focus on fish farming and agriculture in post conflict or climate-affected regions.
• Demonstrated expertise in training community-based para-veterinary workers and implementing livestock infrastructure development (e.g., vaccination parks, watering points).
• Experience in community engagement and working with farmer and fish producer groups to enhance productivity and market access.
• Proficient in English with ability to prepare reports and deliver technical training sessions.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel and Powerpoint.