Principal Agro-Industrial Processing Zone Officer / Rural Infrastructure Development at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Principal Agro-Industrial Processing Zone Officer / Rural Infrastructure Development

Position Number: 50093745
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Job type: Full-time
Position Grade: PL4

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for ‘Agriculture, Human, and Social Development’ is a Sector Complex focusing on the Bank’s new Ten-Year Strategy (2024 – 2033) High 5s priority of “Feed Africa” and “Improve Quality of Life for the People of Africa”.
• The complex objectives are (i) to develop, policy and strategy; (ii) provide deep sector expertise to the Regions by gathering pools of experienced individuals who can be consulted to provide sector expertise on complex transactions; (iii) develop new financing instruments; (iv) the VP will act as the spokesperson to represent the Bank with external stakeholders on aspects of “Feed Africa” and “Improve Quality of Life for the People of Africa”.

The Hiring Department / Division

• The Agriculture Finance and Rural Development Department (AHFR) provides support for the delivery of Feed Africa: Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa, 2016-2025. The strategy aims to end hunger and rural poverty in the next decade through self-sufficiency in 15 priority commodity value chains specific to the continent’s agro-ecological zones. Realizing the objectives set forth in the strategy requires increased productivity; value addition; investment in infrastructure; an enabling agribusiness environment; capital flows; and inclusivity, sustainability and effective nutrition.
• The Department leads the effort to mobilize the required finance to implement Feed Africa and provides support for the implementation of all rural development activities in Regional Member Countries (RMCs).
• The AHFR Department is structured into two Divisions: (i) Agriculture and Rural Finance Division; and (ii) Rural Infrastructure Development Division.
• The Rural Infrastructure Development Division will support the Directorate General Hubs in the design and executions of the programs to develop hard & soft Infrastructure that would boost productivity, agro-processing, storage, transportation and trade of agricultural produce, as well as enabling distribution and improved use of quality agricultural inputs.

Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZS):

• One of the flagship initiatives in the implementation of the Feed Africa Strategy is the development of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs). Since launch, the SAPZ platform has driven various phases of agro-industrialization activities in several African countries, starting with projects in Ethiopia and Togo, and expanding to Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Nigeria.
• In November 2023, the Bank launched the Alliance for Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones ("A-SAPZ" or the "Alliance") at the African Investment Forum in Marrakesh, Morocco to accelerate the development of SAPZs in Africa.

Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (Sapz) Program in Nigeria:

• The Nigeria SAPZ Program is a government-enabled and private sector-led effort seeking to mobilize private sector investment into selected zones across over 20 States. The Program is being implemented in phases, in partnership with the government, local/global institutions, and the private sector.
• The Board of the African Development Group approved the first phase of the Nigeria Special Agro-Industrial Processing (SAPZ) Program on the 13th of December 2021 (“Phase I”) with a total of USD 210 million by the AfDB along with other co-financiers, with more than USD 300 million mobilized. The first phase of the Program is currently being implemented in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the seven (7) states (Cross River, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Ogun, and Oyo).
• The Phase II project aims to build on the success of Phase I and introduces a Multi-Tranche Financing (MTF) approach to expanding the development of agro-industrial infrastructure across twenty-four (24) additional States out of the twenty-seven (27) that expressed interest. The project development objective will be achieved via three components, namely, (i) Infrastructure Development and Agro-Industrial Hubs (AIHs) Management, (ii) Agricultural Infrastructure Development and Production Support, and (iii) Program Coordination and Management. The first tranche (out a total of three), is focusing on 8-12 States with the most advanced level of readiness. Preparation activities are currently at the appraisal stage.

The Positions
The role of the Principal Agro-Industrial Processing Zone Officer in the Rural Infrastructure Development Division entails:

• Designing and implementing high-quality sovereign operations for hard and soft rural infrastructure for the private-sector-led special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs), critical for the agricultural transformation in Africa.
• Providing technical and project management role to Project Implementation Unit at the Federal Government as well as State Project Implementation Unit teams to ensure timely procurement activities while ensuring fiducial requirements such as audit and other environment & social safeguard requirements of the Bank and the Borrower.
• Supporting Regional Directorates/Business Development Units for the relevant sovereign operations with innovative business models, specifically public-private partnership, private sector-led management, and operation to implement the special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs);
• Partnering with co-financiers, financial institutions, commercial banks, and the private sector to design solutions for financing tenant companies in the special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs) along the key priority agricultural value chains.
• Developing knowledge and share lessons of special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs) that have successfully enhanced private-sector investment and value-chain related employment opportunities for women and youth.
• Conducting policy dialogue for a business enabling environment for special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs), including the legal, regulatory, and institutional framework.
• Mobilizing resources for special agro-industrial processing zones from other Development Partners, Development Financial institutions and Non-Traditional sources including climate financing, blended concessional financing, trust funds, sovereign wealth funds and pension funds; and
• Providing implementation support and supervising the special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs) to ensure effective contribution to the goals of the Feed Africa Strategy, reduce poverty, enhance competitiveness, and transform agriculture.

Key Functions
Reporting to the Division Manager, the Principal Agro-Industrial Processing Zone Officer will be responsible for:
Implementation of Ongoing Projects in Nigeria:

• Leading and supervising a wide range of project activities while closely working with Project Implementation Units (PIUs) of both the Federal Government and State Governments.
• Supporting the development of annual budget and activities along with the procurement plans submitted by PIUs of both the Federal Government and State Governments.
• Reviewing and advising procurement activities while carefully analyzing relevant procurement documents developed and submitted by PIUs through collaborating with the Bank’s procurement team to ensure full compliance with the Bank’s procurement policies and other fiducial requirements.
• Reviewing financial and accounting documents while ensuring adequate financial control and management at PIUs through close collaboration with the Bank’s financial management team.
• Reviewing and advising Environment and Social (E&S) Safeguard documents developed by PIUs and the Governments (Federal and State) while working with the Bank’s E&S team members.
• Providing adequate support to PIUs while adequately coordinating with relevant stakeholders.
• Ensuring timely and accelerated project implementation processes by advising PIUs and relevant stakeholders while coordinating the Bank’s relevant departments.
• Processing timely disbursements to support the project activities while ensuring adequate financial control and monitoring.
• Collecting relevant project progress information and development outcomes to be reported to the Bank and relevant stakeholders.   
• Committing to timely delivering results and progress on the ground while ensuring the quality of documents and full compliance with relevant policies and guidelines.

Business Development of New Projects for Agriculture Infrastructure Investments:

• Developing sovereign operations based on innovative rural infrastructure approaches with specific focus on developing special agro-industrial zones and/or related agriculture infrastructure development through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and a private sector lens.
• Understanding the specifications required in project design and feasibility study for specific special agro-industrial processing zones to be commercially viable and attractive to anchor/equity investors as well as tenant companies.
• Capacity building of regional and country staff and implementing partners to apply and adapt private sector led infrastructure models for Bank designs, tailored to the local conditions, environment, and country priorities.
• Providing deep sector expertise for design, implementation, and supervision of projects by gathering experts for projects and work with a network of consultants, transaction advisors, service providers, implementing partners and private sector developers.

Knowledge Sharing on Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones:

• Monitoring implementation around a set of impact indicators around development impact and job creation for women and youth and share best practices, and share lessons learnt.
• Developing guidelines, toolkits and other knowledge products based on best practice emanating from empirical evidence during project implementation.

Policy and Partnerships with Public and Private Stakeholders:

• Conducting stakeholder engagement and increasing private sector participation in special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs) and associated rural infrastructure.
• Developing and conducting an alliance strategy with financial institutions at the country level to support small-medium sized enterprises.

Teamwork:

• Being a collaborative member of the department Management Team, contribute and share expertise and input and foster a collegial environment.
• Building strong relationship management and understanding the business needs to assist in developing practical and effective solutions.

Leadership:

• Managing the efficient use of the financial and human resources of the Division, including the career development of staff.  On the technical front, the work requires analytical and strategic skills as well as personal knowledge and practical experience in the main areas of Bank intervention.

• Supervising complex project identification, preparation and appraisal for Bank Group financing and verifying the quality of the projects.

Staff engagement:

• Leading People: Serve as a role model, leading by example, builds alignment and commitment. Is courageous in challenging others to move the Bank forward.
• Promoting collaboration and facilitating teamwork across teams and across organizational units.
• Maintaining a high standard of professional integrity, treating individuals fairly and respectively and being sensitive to differences across culture, nationalities and gender.

Corporate communication:

• Ensuring effective communication between the Management and staff of the Bank, the authorities of member countries, and officials from other organizations.
• Monitoring best practice in the industry and, as appropriate, liaising with counterparts in other organization.

Competencies
Skills, Experience and Knowledge:

• Hold a minimum of a Master’s Degree in Agronomy, Economics, Finance or Engineering, or related field of study with strong local economic development, project finance, infrastructure development and/or engineering experience;
• Have a minimum of six (6) years of relevant professional experience in the area of agricultural and infrastructure development at multilateral development banks (MDBs) and at least 3-4 years working on agriculture infrastructure and/or PPP projects in Nigeria as a task manager of sovereign operations.
• Sound Experience with International Development Financing Institutions in developing countries including a satisfactory knowledge of their operational policies and procedures.
• Proven leadership in matters relating to rural development or local economic development such as policy dialogue, technical review of reports and consultation with other financiers, among others.
• Knowledge of Africa and the rural development needs, opportunities, development challenges and possible solutions.
• Deep understanding of infrastructure development, preferably agro-industrial development.
• Private Sector Experience is advantageous.
• Demonstrated skills in Operational Effectiveness; Problem Solving; Client Orientation; Teamwork, and Relationship Building.
• Communication skills: Ability to communicate and write effectively in French or English languages, preferably with a working knowledge of the other language.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint); knowledge of SAP is desirable.

Application Closing Date
26th November, 2024.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: This position is classified international status and attracts international terms and conditions of employment.