Background
AGRA is a farmer-centered, African-led, and partnerships-driven institution that seeks to catalyse agriculture and food systems transformation in Africa. AGRA places smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming farming from a solitary struggle to survive into a viable and growing livelihood for farm-based households. It supports the development of the system and enabling environment that shape smallholder farmers’ ability to prosper. It also seeks to develop agro-processing and the food system so that economic and social transformation can be accelerated, the sector can adapt and mitigate climate change, African farming can become more sustainable, youth and women in particular can be empowered through work opportunities and pulled out of poverty, the sector’s expansion can be truly inclusive, also for marginalized groups, and the sector can become more nutrition sensitive.
AGRA is rolling out an ambitious new 5-year strategy to catalyse the Food System-led Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in 15 countries in Africa (West, East, and Southern Africa) and create 3 million youth jobs in the process. The new Strategic Plan sets out to catalyse the growth of sustainable food systems across Africa by supporting governments, the private sector and key non-state actors to strengthen the enabling environment, trade, inclusive markets and local capabilities so that smallholder farmers thrive and the private sector – including youth and women owned SMEs - are able to meet their potential and produce sufficient, healthy food and other transformational value-added ago-based products on a continental scale. To achieve its vision, mission, and strategic objectives, AGRA will build on key assets, models, and key lessons accruing from past strategic investments.
One of AGRA’s focus countries is Nigeria, where AGRA is committed to supporting the resilience of farmers and SMEs through increased productivity, market linkages, and strengthened state and federal government capability. The target is to impact 2.9 million farmers, 100 SMEs, and create at least 515,000 youth jobs by the end of 2027. To do this AGRA plans to support the government and market anchor companies – such as agro-processors; anchor farms that run smallholder out-grower schemes; and traders, financiers, innovators, and input-companies that invest in smallholder farmer productivity – to accelerate the development of agricultural value chains, growth poles and trade and infrastructure corridors that can ensure the sector in Nigeria expands rapidly. The objective is to create jobs pre-farm, on-farm, post-farm and in agricultural and agro-processing services, including through green jobs, while also supporting SME growth, attracting major public and private investment, and improving uptake of high yielding, climate-smart and nutrient dense seed varieties. AGRA also aims to strengthen the sustainability of farming through soil management, integrated pest management, crop diversification and rotation, inter-cropping with trees, water management and rural electrification solutions for agriculture and agro processing. The focus will be predominantly on cereals and legumes.
Objectives of the Consultancy
AGRA is seeking a Private Investment Expert in Nigeria for 6 months to assist our country team to design and start the implementation of a highly impactful agri-business investment program as part of our Nigeria strategy to develop the targeted value chains and strengthen the agri-food SMEs sector and markets serving smallholder farmers. This will include the provision of technical assistance to the government and the private sector to facilitate big-ticket agribusiness investments. The objective is to support the acceleration of strategic private investment deals necessary to expand the agriculture and agro-processing sector and to create large scale youth jobs
Scope of Work
The Private Investment Expert will be responsible for the following tasks:
1. Work closely with the senior value chain expert and the delivery and state capability expert, to identify critical investment needs for market systems building and for the government’s private sector investment objectives. This should depend on the impact strategy of AGRA in Nigeria: priority value chains, growth pole requirements, agricultural corridor requirements, and government flagship requirements. This should include investment in critical enabler sectors such as packaging, irrigation, mechanization, cold chain, rural energy solutions, green finance, and agricultural finance and technology solutions.
2. Engage with the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission to understand their agri-business investment priorities.
3. Depending on the needs of the investment promotion agency, supporting with either:
a. Acceleration of specific top priority investment deals that expand the sector and create jobs
b. Development of an SME investment support programme
c. Preparation of top-quality investment materials containing information of the agriculture and agro-processing sector required by investors
d. Develop a list of target investors to reach out to for the development of an investment pipeline
e. Engage in investment facilitation on specific active deals to support their process toward closure and implementation
f. Support to after-care programme of the agency for existing agribusiness investors
g. Preparation and participation at major investment events, including the Africa Food Systems Forum Dealroom every September
h. Institutional capacity strengthening of the investment agency to be better equipped to meet its mandate on investment promotion and facilitation – and potentially export promotion and facilitation – for the agriculture and agro-processing sector.
4. Collaborate closely with AGRA’s Private Sector Engagement team based in Nairobi to facilitate investment dialogue and transactions suitable for the priorities of the government and the market-system building needs of the sector.
5. Serve as an interlocutor between the Private Sector Engagement team and the government and strategic local private actors seeking investment; and facilitate this team’s support to these actors
6. Focus on timely delivering key milestones (proportionate to the time period for this consultancy) for the above potential areas of support, as decided by the partner federal or state investment promotion agencies.
7. Through this support, guide AGRA on how it can better support this agenda going forward.
Key Qualifications and Experience Required
The consultant should possess the following qualifications and expertise:
1. At least 15 years of experience working in private direct investment or in the financial and investment sector
2. At least 10 years working in a private company, preferably in agribusiness, in an investment advisory firm, in manufacturing or in banking
3. A master’s degree in agribusiness, economics, accountancy, international trade and marketing, manufacturing, finance, business management or related fields.
4. Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of investment facilitation techniques and approaches, as well as of the agro-processing sector and integrated farming.
5. Ability to speak the language of private investors, combined with an ability to work with African governments
6. Understanding of the investment cycle and the success factors for seeing investment transactions through to closure.
7. Deep understanding of the Nigerian financial landscape and existing connections to the sector.
8. Excellent stakeholder management, communication and interpersonal skills, and ability to work with diverse teams and partners.
9. Strong relational and team building skills
10. Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of French is advantageous.
11. Eligible to work in Nigeria
