Private Sector Development Expert at Oxfam Nigeria

Oxfam in Nigeria and International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development (ICEED: Improving Fuel Wood Balance Project

Oxfam is a confederation of 17 Affiliates committed to creating a just world without poverty. In Nigeria Oxfam works in the areas of Economic Justice/Livelihood, Basic Social Services, Humanitarian programming, Gender Justice / Female Leadership and Good governance, adopting a rights based approach. The International Centre for Energy, Environment & Development (ICEED) is a Nigerian think tank focused on addressing climate change and promoting clean energy through policy research, advocacy and communication on the low carbon economy.

Oxfam and ICEED, with funding support from the European Union and the National Planning Commission (NPC) as the contracting authority, are collaborating in the implementation of a four year project on renewable energy production, including Agro-forestry. The project is aimed at sustainably improving the fuel-wood balance and resilience of livelihoods of rural households in 7 LGAs in Katsina state by increasing wood supply through farmer managed natural regeneration whilst reducing fuel wood demand through dissemination and use of fire wood efficient stoves.

The position is open to suitably qualified personnel who will drive the implementation of the project:

Job Title: Private Sector Development Expert

Location: Katsina State

Job Description

• The role of the Private Sector Expert is to facilitate the development of viable economic models that link farmers to private sector markets.
• Also work with the project team to ensure that by the end of the project, at least four economic Agro-forestry models have been documented, improved and scaled up for optimal production of fuel wood, NTFPs and intercrops / fodder for local markets.
• Additionally a local supply chain is expected to have installed at least 35,000 FWR stoves in poor and middle income households of which 90% is regularly used, leading to overall 15% reduction in rural fuel wood consumption.
• This position reports to the Project Manager and coordinates with the Private Sector team at Oxfam in Nigeria and ICEED.

Main Tasks:

• Assess implementing NGOs capacity, develop and carry out capacity building plans to ensure that CBOs / NGOs have the capacity to create public/private/CBO partnership platforms that plan and coordinate LGA level actions
• Initiate and lead market assessments and opportunities for value chain development suitable to market demands.
• Provide technical and institutional support to the project team with specific focus on linking beneficiaries to markets. This includes facilitating partnerships between the target communities and project staff with service providers such as technical institutions, producer and marketing institutions/agencies, financial institutions, other NGO’s and local and international research institutes and Katsina State relevant line Ministries of Agric and Environment.
• Build local capacity to interpret customary, religious and administrative tenure rights for local tree tenure regulations and bye-laws and have CBOs adapt and adopt them to promote entrepreneurship with trees
• Train partner NGO staff on market, engagement with the private sector, social mobilisation and technical skills
• Support partner NGO staff and CBO leaders in the fulfilment of their roles in realising project results.
• Ensure gender equity in project implementation especially the participation of women in the supply chains for the Woodstoves and Agro forestry components of the project.
• Develop ToRs, Capacity Development plans, Implementation routines, M&E routines, in order to support Implementing Partners to:
• Other tasks as specified and assigned within the project team

Requirement

• A university degree in Business Administration or any of the Social Sciences
• Minimum 4 years relevant experience in project management preferably for an EU project
• Understanding of the workings of the Private Sector and markets
• Proven experience in Entrepreneur capacity building for SME development and support to rural community business management
• Experience in value chain development and application of innovative financial mechanisms and entrepreneurship;
• Ability to work well in a team
• Fluent in English. Ability speak Hausa will be an advantage

Application Closing Date
4th November, 2014

Method of Application
Qualified candidates should send their Curriculum Vitae and application to: [email protected]

Enquiries should be sent to: [email protected] Applications sent to the enquiry e-mail will be disqualified.