Vacancies: Training and Demonstration Specialist, Agronomist
IFDC is a public international organization governed by an international board of directors with representation from developed and developing nations. The non-profit Center focuses on increasing and sustaining food and agricultural productivity in developing countries through the development and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise.
Africa is the largest cassava producing area in the world About 93% of cassava is consumed as food, in contrast to Latin America and Asia where less than half is utilized for food consumption. Nigeria also imports more than 60,000 mt of starch for industrial purposes (equivalent to 300,000 mt of cassava roots) and more than 150,000 mt of starch derivatives (equivalent to 750,000 mt of cassava roots) such as sugars (high fructose syrup) for the soft drink industry. The Dutch Agricultural Trading and Development Company (DADTCO) has developed a state-of- the art technology that has been piloted in Nigeria and proven that a paradigm shift can be introduced for the cassava value chain so that high quality cassava flour (HQCF) can be produced at a competitive price.
With support from the government of the Netherlands, IFDC is implementing the Cassava + project – a public private partnership intervention – to increase agricultural production West African nations. The project is headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria and current operations take place across Nigeria.
Position: Training and Demonstration Specialist
Location: Rivers State
Duration: 1 year subject to renewal.
Duties and Responsibilities: The Training and Demonstration Specialist will be based in Rivers State. The duties and responsibilities are.
Job Requirements
- Applicant must possess Bachelor’s degree (B.sc) in Agric extension or similar discipline;
- Five years of relevant work experience;
- Experience in cassava production; Knowledge of participatory training methodologies and delivery
- Strong interpersonal relations;
- Fluent in English (written and oral skills);
- Computer skills in word processing, PowerPoint, Excel;
- Knowledge of agricultural development needs is desired;
Position: Agronomist
Location: Rivers State
Duration: 1 year subject to renewal.
Duties and Responsibilities: The Agronomist will be based in Rivers State. The duties and responsibilities are:
- Work with IFDCs Agronomic team to develop an appropriate package of practices for southeastern Nigeria;
- Support the protocol and organization of field trails and farmers demonstrations in Rivers State and environs;
- Organize training programs in targeted sites of southeastern Nigeria-,
- Support the development of training materials for farmer groups and service providers;
- Any other duties that may be assigned.
Job Requirements
- Applicant must possess Bachelor’s degree (B.sc) in Soil Science or similar discipline Five years of relevant work experience;
- Experience in cassava production;
- Strong interpersonal relations;
- Fluent in English (written and oral skills);
- Computer skills in word processing, PowerPoint, excel;
- Knowledge of agricultural development is desired.
Method of Application
Qualified applicants are invited to send an application consisting of a letter of introduction that outlines the applicant’s educational background, relevant work experience, and major areas of professional interest, and an up-to-date curriculum vitae to ifdcnigeria@ifdc.org.
- All submissions must state which position the applicant is applying for in the subject header
- Only short listed candidates will be contacted for interview. No phone calls are accepted.
Deadline: April 11th, 2011.
The IFDC Nigeria
6 Ogbagi Street, Garki, Abuja,
Federal Capital Territory.
Email: ifdcnigeria@ifdc.org
Website: www.ifdc.org
