Consultancy – Development of Climate Smart strategy for Nigerian Agribusiness

This job will be suitable for those who have a solid understanding of Nigerian agribusiness as well as a thorough knowledge of climate smart agricultural practices and its application within the Nigerian (market) context.

CFYE Overview

​​The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) is a 7-year and €134 million programme funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that aims to create a prosperous future for 230,000 young women and men in the Middle East, North Africa, Sahel & West Africa and Horn of Africa regions. The Fund supports implementing partners in 11 countries that will offer youth, in particular young women, opportunities for work that is demand-driven and productive, offering a stable income and safe working conditions, and that is contributing to their personal development and social protection.​

Private sector, civil society and knowledge institutions work on projects geared to scalable solutions for creating more and better jobs and income generating opportunities for youth. Solutions in particular focus on an integrated approach that addresses the shortcomings on the demand side (jobs) and supply side (skills) and bridging the mismatch between these two in the labour market.

Assignment Overview

In its Nigeria portfolio, a significant number of Implementing Partners (IPs) are active in the agricultural sector, where they work on creating (green) job opportunities for youth through various pathways. At the same time, the Nigerian agricultural sector is faced with the adverse effects of climate change, which is increasingly impacting agricultural productivity in Nigeria, affecting food security, incomes, and rural livelihoods and changing the way farming is done. As much as climate change is threatening the agricultural sector, finding ways to deal with climate change and organizing agriculture in a more climate-smart way, also offers business opportunities and opportunities for (new) jobs for youth.

Hemam Synergy, a company part of the CFYE portfolio in Nigeria, is already working on embedding climate-smart practices in their company and in their collaboration with value chain and ecosystem partners. At the same time, Hemam Synergy acknowledges that much more can be done and more opportunities for business, finance and employment can be grasped.

For this to happen, Hemam and CFYE are looking for the support of a consultant to develop and/or build out the company’s strategy towards climate-smart agriculture. This Scope of Work lays the details for the related consultancy assignment.

Objectives and Activities

The objective of this consultancy on climate smart strategy for Nigerian agribusiness is to support and work with Hemam Synergy to develop and/or strengthen their climate-smart agriculture strategy, to embed this strategy into their business, and equip staff and the broader organization with the right skills and actionable approaches to put these strategies into action. Ultimately this should help both companies to enhance the resilience of their business to climate change, improve productivity and sustainability of their business activities and create more employment opportunities for young people.

To deliver on this objective, it is foreseen that the consultant takes up the following activities:

Phase 1: Assessment and Baseline Study

The consultant is expected to do:

Company Analysis: Provide an in-depth understanding each company’s business model, focal value chains, and key agricultural operations and financing structures.

Climate Risk & Vulnerability Assessment: based on the company analysis, assess historical and projected climate trends affecting the company’s agricultural activities. Assess climate-related risks to productivity, supply chains, and sustainability specific to the value chains in which Hemam is active.

Market and financing analysis: For the selected value chains, analyse current market conditions. Identify potential market opportunities, specifically those that tap into climate adaptation and – mitigation. Subsequently, assess the availability and accessibility of financial services for smallholder farmers and SMEs to tap into the identified market opportunities, including innovative financing mechanisms, such as blended finance, revolving funds, carbon financing and impact investments.

Policy & Regulatory Review: Examine Nigerian (both at federal and at state level) and global policies relevant to climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and identify how these can apply. Identify financial incentives and support mechanisms for climate-smart adoption that are available through governments, donors, private sector and philantrophy.

Phase 2: Strategy Development

Based on the outcomes of phase 1:, the consultant is expected to do:

CSA Practices Identification & Prioritization: Recommend CSA practices tailored to Hemam’s needs (e.g., agroforestry, precision agriculture, soil conservation, improved seed varieties, renewable energy). Prioritize scalable and cost-effective interventions that are feasible to be realized by each company, based on its current business maturity. This should also focus on potential adoption of innovative and sustainable agricultural technologies that are resilient to climate change, both at the company as well as on the farmer level.

Climate Mitigation & Adaptation Planning: Develop strategies for reducing emissions (e.g., efficient fertilizer use, methane reduction in livestock, renewable energy integration). Outline adaptation strategies to mitigate climate risks (e.g., drought-resistant crops, water management).

Financing strategy: Identify CSA financing opportunities along the supply chain for both of the above. Recommend relevant financing options to materialize on these abovementioned CSA opportunities, and define the pro’s and cons of each financing options, including advise on how to approach relevant financiers.

Phase 3: Implementation Plan & Capacity Building

Based on the outcomes of phase 2:, the consultant is expected to create:

Roadmap & Action Plan: Take the strategy developed under phase 2, and based on this define short-term, medium-term, and long-term actions for implementing CSA practices in the prioritized value chains of the respective companies. Assign responsibilities and identify necessary resources, as well as the potential necessary sources of financing.

Capacity Building & Training: Design training sessions for staff, farmers, and partners. Develop and deliver a training-of trainers for (extension) staff of Hemam. Develop knowledge-sharing materials on CSA best practices.

Monitoring & Evaluation Framework: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for tracking progress on the abovementioned roadmap and action plan. Recommend reporting mechanisms and impact assessment methodologies for the companies to create qualitative evidence around the KPIs.

During all of the abovementioned phases, the consultant is expected to adopt a participatory and multi-disciplinary approach. The proposed methodology should include, but is not limited to:

• Desk review: a comprehensive review of existing literature, reports, and data relevant to the selected value chains, regions, agricultural practices, etc.
• Field research: on-site visits, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions with stakeholders for both companies.
• Economic and financial analysis: use of tools such as cost-benefit analysis, market analysis, and financial modelling to evaluate the viability of CSA strategies
• Workshops and consultations: facilitation of stakeholder workshops to validate findings and co-create solutions and recommendations

Deliverables

• Inception Report – Work plan, methodology, and timeline for the roll-out of the assignment. Due after the kick-off of the assignment
• Climate Risk & Vulnerability and Business and Financing Opportunities Assessment Report – Findings on climate risks, approaches and business and financing opportunities for each company.
• CSA Strategy Document – Tailored strategies, interventions, and implementation roadmap, including advise on KPI monitoring and impact measurement
• Training & Capacity Building Plan – Materials and training modules for company stakeholders.
• Final Report & Presentation – Summary of findings, recommendations, and implementation plan.

Operational Arrangements

The consultant will report to the management of Hemam Synergy as well as to the Nigeria country team of CFYE. The consultant will be contracted for this assignment through CFYE’s lead partner Palladium (Nigeria office) and contracting will be done in Nigerian Naira. Approvals on reporting (see also below) will be done together by Hemam Synergy and CFYE, which will also serve as trigger for payments.

On a day-to-day basis, the consultant will collaborate closely with the management teams of Hemam Synergy. This means that the consultant is expected to visit the respective head offices, and those of its partners, frequently, as well as frequently join the companies on field visits to better understand the characteristics of their respective value chains.

Core Competencies & minimum requirements  

The consultant should possess the following qualifications and expertise:

• At least a Bachelor but preferably a Master degree in agriculture, environmental science, climate change, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience working in agricultural policy, CSA, agri-financing and/or sustainable agribusiness.
• Track record of effectively and successfully advising SMEs on business strategies.
• Demonstrated experience in climate risk assessment, CSA strategy development, and agribusiness consulting.
• Familiarity with Nigerian agricultural policies, climate frameworks, and rural development programs.
• Strong network of contacts within the Nigerian agricultural ecosystem, including private sector actors, government agencies, and industry associations.
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Proficiency in English, with additional fluency in local Nigerian languages preferred.
• Willingness to travel within Nigeria as needed for business meetings and market research activities.

Level of Effort and Reporting

The consultant can ideally start as soon as possible but no later than April 2025 and engage on the assignment for 3-4 months. This engagement is on a part-time basis, requiring approximately 8-12 hours per week with a maximum Level of Effort of 25-30 days. In its proposal, the consultant is requested to provide an overview of how the LoE is proposed to be divided over the different activities.

During implementation, the consultant shall provide a monthly log of hours worked, detailing the activities performed. This should also lay the foundation for monthly invoicing for the assignment. Besides the abovementioned deliverables, the consultant will also provide a monthly progress report to both the companies as well as CFYE, and will write a final report in conclusion on all activities

How to Apply

A short technical proposal, a budget (in NGN) based on the abovementioned LoE and CVs and relevant track record of the consultant should be submitted. The CV and track record should include detailed and recent information about similar, recent assignments or jobs taken up by the consultant. Preferably the CV also contains contact details for reference checks on past employers/assignments. Applications should be send to Amarachi.kalu@cfye.nl and niek.vandijk@cfye.nl by the 17th of March 2025.

Our company provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.