Technical Assistant to the Rural Institutions Development Officer

Ogun State SAPZ Program

The Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is a vital government organ dedicated to enhancing food productivity, driving industrialisation, and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across Ogun State, Nigeria

Ogun State Program Implementation Unit of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Program invites applications from eligible candidates to fill the position below:

Job Title: Technical Assistant to the Rural Institutions Development Officer

Location: Idi-Aba Abeokuta, Ogun

Estimated Duration of the Assignment: twelve (12) months with the possibility of extension based on program needs, satisfactory performance and conduct

Background

• The Ogun State Government through the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has secured a facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to implement a five-year AfDB/IFAD/ISDB-Assisted Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Program in partnership with Private Investors.
• The seven (7) participating states of Imo, Kaduna, Cross River, Kwara, Oyo and Ogun as well as the Federal Capital Teritory (FCT) in the first phase of program implementation.
• The implementation of a government-enabled/private sector driven SAPZS is a major investment program of the Federal Government of Nigeria, driven by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) in collaboration with relevant Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to develop agro-processing clusters in areas of high agricultural production across the country.
• It is a strategic move to rapidly develop modern Agro-processing capacity to serve the vast and growing local markets, create sustainable market for farmers and reduce post-harvest losses of local agricultural produce and thereby create wealth for farmers, promote import substitution and create sustainable agriculture-related jobs.
• This clustering approach is to help address investment challenges in the development of agro- processing enclaves across Nigeria, including poor access to quality infrastructure, inadequate feedstock supplies and other challenges confronting agro-processing environment SAPZS, therefore, will be developed with requisite infrastructure for agro processing environment which will help reduce cost absorptions and engender competitiveness in agro-industrial production that is critical to further unlocking the potentials of Nigeria's agriculture to create ready markets and wealth for farming communities and reduce rural poverty.
• The SAPZ is made up of two building blocks which include the Agricultural Transformation Centres (ATCs), which are community-based rural institution within the host community, equipped with desirable infrastructure to create modern agro-processing environment where secondary value addition will take place.
• The Agro-Industrial Processing Hub (AIH) will draw its processing feedstock from the ATCs where activities of the production clusters and Aggregation Centres are being coordinated.

Scope of Service and Responsibilities

The TA will work under the direct supervision of the RIDO and in close collaboration with other State specialists in the SPIUS, and relevant stakeholders and report through the State Officer to the State Programme Coordinator. Key responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

Strategic and Technical Support:

• Assist in the development and updating of strategies, guidelines, operational manuals and toolkits for rural institutions development, including group formation, legal registration, governance structures, and sustainability frameworks.
• Support the design and implementation of capacity-building programmes for FOs, cooperatives, MSMEs and MAFs, incorporating modules on business planning, financial management, climate resilience, gender mainstreaming, nutrition, and value addition (using tools such as GALS-Cender Action Leaming System-where applicable).
• Facilitate the integration of rural institutions with ATCs, AlHs, and private sector actors for reliable feedstock supply, aggregation, and market linkages.

Coordination and Implementation:

• Coordinate the SPIUS related activities, ADPs' Rural Institution Development Departments, extension services, and service providers for the identification, mobilization, training, and strengthening of at least 3,000+FOs across participating states.
• Organize and facilitate stakeholder workshops, training-of-trainers sessions, and field missions to promote inclusive participation (targeting 240% women-led or women-only groups and youth inclusion).7
• Liaise with state level financial institutions. NIRSAL, and other partners to enhance access to finance and de-risking mechanisms for rural institutions.

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships:

• Assist in mapping, profiling, and registering eligible rural institutions (cooperatives, farmer groups, etc.) for participation in the SAPZ value chains.
• Support the facilitation of inclusive dialogue platforms to negotiate contract farming agreements, out-grower schemes, and benefit-sharing mechanisms between smallholder groups and private sector anchor firms.
• Serve as a secretariat for the Rural Institutions Working Group, preparing minutes, tracking action points, and disseminating information.

Financial Inclusion and Linkages:

• Support initiatives to strengthen linkages between rural institutions and:
• Financial institutions (banks, microfinance institutions, FSAs)
• Input suppliers and service providers
• Off-takers and processors within SAPZ
• Assist in promoting access to credit, savings, and insurance products.
• Support implementation of financial literacy programmes.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting:

• Support the RIDO in tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) related to rural institutions, such as number of farmers organized, volume of produce aggregated, percentage of women/youth-led enterprises, number of functional FOs, governance scores, member income increases, O&M fund contributions.
• Contribute to Programme Annual Work Plans and Budgets (AWPBS), quarterly progress reports, and other reporting requirements for AfDB, IFAD, ISDB, and FGN.
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits (in coordination with M&E Unit) and prepare analytical reports on challenges, lessons learned, and best practices.
• Assist in the documentation of success stories, knowledge products, and policy briefs on rural institutions development.
• Prepare high-quality technical reports, quarterly progress reports, and briefs for the SRIDO, State Coordinator, and financing partners.
• Maintain a robust database (MIS) of all rural institutions engaged under the programme, including their governance structures, financial health, and production capacity.

Other Duties:

• Represent the RIDO in technical meetings, steering committees, and donor missions as delegated.
• Support the integration of cross-cutting themes (gender, youth, climate change, nutrition, and safeguards) into all rural institutions' activities.
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the RIDO or State Programme Coordinator (NPC).

Qualifications and Experience

• Required
• Master's degree (or equivalent) in Rural Development, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Development Studies, Sociology/Anthropology, or a related social science discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive relevant professional experience in rural development projects, with at least 5 years focused on farmer organization/cooperative strengthening, group mobilization, institutional capacity building, or agribusiness development in Nigeria or similar African contexts
• Proven track record in designing and implementing capacity-building programmes for smallholder groups, including experience with value chain development, market linkages, and financial inclusion (eg., FSA or VSLA models).
• Familiarity with donor-funded agricultural projects (AfDB, IFAD, World Bank, etc.), including safeguards, gender mainstreaming, and M&E frameworks.
• Experience working with government institutions (FMAFS, ADPs, State Ministries) and multi-stakeholder platforms is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated field experience in at least 3 geo-political zones of Nigeria.

Application Closing Date

13th October, 2026 at 12:00 noon local time.