Agriculturalist at Care Best Initiative (CBI)

Care Best Initiative (CBI) is a fast-growing, woman-led, and youth-driven Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) founded in 2019 and presently operational in states within North-East, Nigeria. Our objectives are to save lives, alleviate the suffering of children, women, and other vulnerable people; and maintain human dignity during and in the aftermath of man-made crises and natural disasters; as well as to prevent and strengthen preparedness for the occurrence of such situations; and to promote the right of children, women and vulnerable people in the society. Our actions are multi-sectorial inclined, gender-sensitive, and socially inclusive.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Agriculturalist

Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employment Type: Contract
Department: Programs
Job type: Contractual - Twelve (12) months
Responsible for: Delivering CBI Nutrition program
Reports to: Program Coordinator

Background

• We have implemented various donor and self-funded projects/activities in several areas of humanitarian needs among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees, and host communities. We are actively present in Northeast (Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, and Bauchi States) and Northwest (Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi states) Nigeria. CBI employs a multi-sectorial stakeholder-engagement and community-inclusion approach to the implementation of all her programs and activities and is well experienced in advocacy, influencing awareness creation, and behavioural change programming.
• Our thematic areas of operations cut across sectors like Health (FP, SRH, HIV/AIDS & RI), Education, Nutrition (CMAM, MIYCN), Protection (GBV, Child Protection, GE&I), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Food Security & Livelihood (FSL) among others with the objectives to improve access to basic and reproductive health services, and support distressed families.
• We also facilitate developmental programs, such as stakeholders’ advocacy campaigns against systemic and deep-rooted gender inequalities and barriers that will improve the socio-economic status of the most vulnerable (including orphans, PLWHA, PWDs, out-of-school children, Almajiri students, and Islamiyya students), promote infrastructural and environmental development, and promote equitable gender and social activities in communities.
• As our activities are also aimed at strengthening the resilience of the most vulnerable and building their capacity and self-reliance through education, sensitization, and awareness creation, CBI works in partnership with the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and Women’s Affairs, Ministry of Health as well as other relevant line-ministries for implementation.
• CBI also partners with other local and international partners and is an active member of several Clusters, working groups, and CSO Networks in all her states of operation and at the national level is a member of the Coalition of NGOs in Nigeria.

Job Purpose

• As a Nutrition Advisor, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the nutritional well-being of vulnerable populations affected by crises such as natural disasters, conflicts, or pandemics. Your primary responsibility will be to develop, implement, and monitor nutrition programs to prevent malnutrition and improve the nutritional status of communities in need.

Job Description / Principal Accountabilities

• To lead in the implementation of agricultural and food security related interventions to enable own production of food.
• Lead in the design, demonstration and scaling up of relevant low-input kitchen/micro-gardening production systems.
• Research, and identify appropriate micro-garden permaculture systems (e.g. key hole gardening) relevant to communities with limited space.
• Develop a basket of micro-gardening options (including vertical, sack etc.) vegetable production systems that can be sustained for all year round.
• Apply relevant soil nutrient improvement and promote backyard soil fertility improvement practices and water conservation techniques with locally available resources.
• Design demonstration plots to promote improved production, facilitate demand creation, and show case nutrition sensitive agriculture.
• Demonstrate manure/ compost making, conservation farming, crop protection, water harvesting, micro-irrigation, etc.
• Develop cropping calendars allowing crop rotation and all year-round production of vegetables.
• Train led farmers, volunteers and or cluster of farmers and conduct home visits to monitor production.
• Support nutrition education in cooking demonstrations.
• Assist farmers to identify and overcome problems
• Introduce new technologies (new varieties, crops, breeds, etc.)
• Provide vegetable production reports.

Job Holder Entry Requirements
Knowledge (Education & Related Experience):

• Degree in Agriculture specializing in Crop Science, Horticulture, Agronomy or General Agriculture.
• In-depth knowledge of soil and crop principles
• Experience in agricultural extension and training of lead farmers, illiterate farmers in displacement affected communities.
• Knowledge of the agricultural systems, calendar, livelihood calendar and production practices of communities in Northeast Nigeria.
• Experience in designing and implementing kitchen/backyard gardens using the low input gardening & nutrition sensitive approaches.
• Ability to integrate Agricultural production, WASH, Income generating activities and rural micro-finance activities.

Skills (Special Training or Competence):
General professional competencies:

• Proven experience in computer systems and network administration
• Previous experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• Team management
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities

Training skills:

• Clear written and verbal communication
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal
• Good knowledge of the local humanitarian and security context
• Context / Specific skills, Knowledge and experience:
• In-depth knowledge of the Office 365 suite
• Designing and managing IP networks
• Bandwidth optimization and high availability techniques.
• Knowledge of installation, configuration and maintenance of HF and VHF radios is an asset.

Performance Management:
The employee will be accountable for the responsibilities and the competencies, in accordance with CBI Human Resource and Performance Management manual. The following documents will be used for performance reviews:

• The Job Description
• The work and development plan
• The Mid-term / End of trial period Performance Review Template
• The End-term Performance Review Template
• The CBI Competency Framework.

Key Behaviours:

• Interpersonal and intercultural sensitivity.
• Social and receptive (active listener).
• High degree of integrity.
• Ability to work independently and as a part of the team, as the situation dictates.
• Proactive and ready to take initiative.
• Ability to assimilate and handle a wide range of information efficiently and effectively.
• High level of stress tolerance and ability to work under pressure with minimum supervision.
• Willingness to undertake extensive field trips within the PCO working area.

Key Relationships (excluding own line manager and staff):
Internal:

• Program Coordinator
• Finance and Support Services team
• Various staff based in all CBI core departments, as and when necessary (e.g. funding, PDA, MEAL, finance, PPA)

External:

• Partners
• Consultants
• Service Providers/Stakeholders (Other NGOs)
• Government agencies
• Community leaders/CBOs.

Application Closing Date
31st March, 2024.