The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other stakeholders, has concluded the design of a revolutionary programme to transform agricultural lending in Nigeria. Known as the Nigeria Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), the programme is aimed at de-risking lending to the entire agricultural value chain in Nigeria.

POSITION: TEAM LEAD, PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION OFFICE (PIO) (REF: CBN/NIRSAL/JOBADV/01)

THE JOB:
i. The implementation strategy of NIRSAI requires the Team Lead, Project Implementation Office (PIO), to drive the establishment of NIRSAL’s five pillars which include, risk sharing, bank incentive, insurance, technical assistance and agricultural bank rating components as well as the engagement of key stakeholders and partners.
ii. The Team Lead who will be expected to conclude the assignment in six (6) months will report to NIRSAL’s High Level Management Committee comprising the CBN, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Water Resources, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the Banker’s Committee and a representative of the agribusiness community.
iii. The person will be required to manage an impact focused team of six to eight members with project management, problem-solving and leadership skills and work with partners who are committed to quickly delivering concrete results on NIRSAL.
iv. The Team Lead will coordinate NIRSAL’s implementation preparatory plan and stakeholder engagement process to ensure that defined milestones are achieved.
v. He/She will be charged with the engagement of State Governments, banks, farmers, processors, and other agricultural value chain operators and negotiating their buy in and support throughout the implementation preparation phase of NIRSAL.
vi. The Team Lead will monitor progress by establishing a tracking mechanism to ensure that activities are performed as planned.
vii. He/She will have the responsibility for establishing a firms foundation for the take-off of NIRSAL by identifying, analyzing and pre-empting challenges and resolving same promptly.
viii. The Team Lead will be responsible for the establishment of the Non-Bank Financial Institution (NBFI) that will ultimately implement and drive NIRSAL.
ix. He/She will prepare regular reports to the CBN and NIRSAL’ High Level Management Committee and act on their decisions.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
CAPABILITIES:
The prospective applicant should be able to:
• Think strategically, identify opportunities, and link initiatives to broader NIRSAL business strategy and value.
• Effectively solve problems, drawing on sound business judgment and strong analytical skills
• Ensure quality control and analytical rigour. www.nigerianbestforum.com
• Coach, train, mentor and influence people or good team norms and high performance
• Communicate effectively, quickly, build relationships.
• Be a good process and turn-around time manager.

EXPERIENCE:
The applicant must be
• A top team player with the ability effectively drive the NIRSAL process.
• A person with a least 10 years cognate experience in agricultural value chain business or similar projects in a financial/ development institution, of which 5 years should at senior management level.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
The prospective applicant must be
• Exceptionally inspirational with high energy to drive change.
• Courageous and persistence
• Innovative, proactive and resilient.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
The prospective applicant must be
• At least a good first degree in Economics, Agricultural Economics, Banking, Finance, Business Administration or other related Management Sciences.
• A higher degree and/or a recognized project management professional certificate will be an added advantage.

TO APPLY
Director
Development Finance Department
Central Bank of Nigeria
Central Business District, Abuja.
On or before 30th August 2011.

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