About the Role
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), on behalf of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), is seeking a qualified consultant to serve as Project Officer for the ACReSAL Project. In this 6-month consultancy based in Kano, Nigeria, you will play a vital role in coordinating field-level interventions, promoting climate-smart agriculture, and driving sustainable rural development across assigned communities.
Key Responsibilities- Support project planning, activity scheduling, and implementation to ensure the timely delivery of ACReSAL project outputs.
- Coordinate day-to-day field activities across assigned states and communities in alignment with approved workplans.
- Provide technical and operational support for interventions related to climate-smart agriculture, agroforestry, conservation agriculture, soil health, and seed systems.
- Facilitate stakeholder engagements, community-level consultations, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and field-based assessments.
- Organize capacity-building initiatives, including farmer training, Training of Trainers (ToTs), demonstration plots, and agricultural field days.
- Monitor implementation progress, collect reliable project data, and draft comprehensive technical reports and success stories.
- Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Crop Science, Forestry, Natural Resource Management, or a related field (Master's degree is an advantage).
- At least 5 years of professional experience in agricultural development, climate-smart agriculture, or natural resource management.
- Demonstrated expertise in coordinating multi-location rural development projects and working closely with farming communities.
- Good understanding of agricultural systems, rural challenges, and stakeholder dynamics in Northern Nigeria.
- Strong communication, interpersonal, and technical report-writing skills, with a willingness to travel as required.
- Gain hands-on experience driving high-impact agricultural and environmental research for development initiatives in Africa.
- Collaborate with leading international agricultural research institutions including IITA and ICRISAT.
- Contribute directly to improving food security, environmental resilience, and sustainable livelihoods in Nigeria.