About the Role
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is seeking a dedicated and experienced Training Officer to join our team in Jigawa State. In this role, you will play a vital part in coordinating state-level training needs assessments, adapting curricula, and overseeing the delivery of practical, hands-on agribusiness training for youth, women, and marginalized groups. If you are passionate about agricultural development, food security, and empowering the next generation of agripreneurs in Nigeria, we invite you to apply.
Key Responsibilities- Coordinate state-level training needs assessments and adapt technical, business, and soft-skills curricula to local value chains.
- Plan and schedule training cohorts, mobilizing venues, facilitators, mentors, and participants in collaboration with the State Admin and Logistics Officer.
- Identify, orient, and support qualified local facilitators and mentors to deliver high-quality training and ongoing coaching.
- Oversee training delivery at Youth Agribusiness Parks and designated centers, ensuring practical and consistent learning experiences.
- Coordinate specialized, inclusive training for persons with disabilities and internally displaced youth using adapted methods.
- Support the implementation of the Start Them Early Program (STEP) in secondary schools across the state.
- Track participant attendance, progress, and completion data for the program monitoring and evaluation system.
- Coordinate the distribution of training materials and starter kits to program graduates.
- Facilitate linkages between trained participants and mentorship, youth clusters, financial institutions, and markets.
- Prepare comprehensive periodic training reports detailing participation, completion rates, and quality observations.
- Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Extension, Agribusiness, Education, or a related field.
- Minimum of 3 to 5 years of professional experience in agricultural training, extension services, vocational training, or youth capacity-building.
- Sound technical knowledge of priority agricultural value chains such as poultry, aquaculture, horticulture, rice, maize, or cassava.
- Demonstrated expertise in adult-learning principles, curriculum delivery, and facilitation for diverse groups.
- Strong organizational, event coordination, and multitasking abilities with basic proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Deep understanding of the local context, communities, and languages in Jigawa State, alongside a willingness to travel frequently to rural training locations.
- Highly competitive salary structure with attractive benefit packages.
- Excellent working conditions within a supportive and collaborative professional environment.
- Opportunities for professional growth and impactful community development work.