Agriculture Officer at ZOA International

ZOA’s Programme in Nigeria

• ZOA started operations in Nigeria December 2016, supporting IDPs and returnees of Boko Haram affected states. In the selection of the beneficiaries, we pay careful attention to include the most vulnerable households. Continuously promoting community governance, inclusion, peace, and stability in these fragmented and traumatized communities is a challenging but essential part of ZOA's programme.
• ZOA currently has full team in Borno State, respond to the critical needs in Food Security and livelihood and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Education as well.

Purpose of the Position

• To lead in the implementation of agricultural and food security related interventions to enable own production of food and restoration of livestock assets.
• The incumbent will the focal person for agricultural innovation, nutrition sensitive agriculture and scaling up of new approaches to improve micro-agricultural practices for both vegetables and small livestock in displacement affected communities.
• The position is 12months fixed term renewable based on funding availability.

Agricultural Extension:

• Design demonstration plots to promote improved production, facilitate demand creation, and show case nutrition sensitive agriculture.
• Demonstrate manure/ compost making, conservation farming, crop protection, water harvesting, micro-irrigation, etc.
• Develop cropping calendars allowing crop rotation and all year-round production of vegetables.
• Train led farmers, volunteers and or cluster of farmers and conduct home visits to monitor production.
• Facilitate garden days every season with key learning themes based on beneficiary successes.
• Identify and promote low input soil, nutrient and water conservation techniques that can achieved with locally available resources.
• Identify opportunities to link WASH – Solid Waste management and nutrient recycling for improved fruit and vegetable production.

Low Input Gardening Technology Support:

• Lead in the design, demonstration and scaling up of relevant low-input kitchen/micro-gardening production systems.
• Research, and identify appropriate micro-garden permaculture systems (e.g. key hole gardening) relevant to communities with limited space.
• Develop a basket of micro-gardening options (including vertical, sack etc.) vegetable production systems that can be sustained for all year round.
• Apply relevant soil nutrient improvement and promote backyard soil fertility improvement practices.

Small-livestock Production Support:

• Promote rearing of small livestock (poultry & goats)
• Train farmers in breeding, and husbandry practices to increase per capita livestock count
• Design and promote appropriate livestock housing in space limited contexts.

Harvesting & Post Harvesting:

• Design and promote appropriate harvesting and post harvesting management of vegetables.
• Support nutrition education in cooking demonstrations.
• Ensure the siting and husbandry of micro-gardens align to basic on field food safety standards.

Reporting and Analysis:

• Produce vegetable production reports.
• Support in tracking amount of food consumed from own production.

External Contacts:

• Community members, community leaders and community-based organizations.
• Relevant government authorities on a provincial/district and local level.
• National and international NGOs working in ZOA’s target areas.
• Any other stakeholders in project implementation at community level.

Internal Contacts:

• Project Manager, Project Officer, Project staff
• ZOA field office / country office staff.

Person Specifications

• Degree in Agriculture specializing in Crop Science, Horticulture, Agronomy, Livestock and or General Agriculture. Preferred
• Experience in agricultural extension and training of lead farmers, illiterate farmers in displacement affected communities.
• Knowledge of the agricultural systems, calendar, livelihood calendar and production practices of communities in Northeast Nigeria.
• Experience in designing and implementing kitchen, backyard, gardens using the low input gardening & nutrition sensitive approaches.
• Ability to integrate Agricultural production, WASH, Income generating activities and rural micro-finance activities.

Identity:

• The candidate is to support and promote the identity, vision, and mission of ZOA

Skills / Attitude:

• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Good networking skills.
• Good planning and organizational skills.
• Accuracy.
• Flexibility and adaptability.
• Able to work under pressures and meet deadlines.
• Pioneering qualities (taking initiative).
• Result-oriented in a team approach.
• Ability to work individual as well as in a team.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural setting.

Salary / Conditions

• According to ZOA’s salary scale and condition of service.
• ZOA offers a challenging job, an inspiring motivated team, good benefits, and remuneration which suits the charities sector.