Experience

WORK EXPERIENCE

National Programme Services Specialist (2022 to date) Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project of the World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Nigeria.

Nature of work and responsibilities:

·       Coordinates project activities in implementation, training, linkages, and beneficiary mapping and profiling for the Project across 22 states.

·       Coordinates productive stakeholder engagement with funding agency (World Bank), government ministries of agriculture, finance, environment, and the project implementation units at national and states levels.

·       Coordinates market-linkages; conducts market surveys and price analysis.

·       Manage grain supply and reserve to mitigate shortage due to competition as food and animal feed.

·       Supports the formulation of national livestock masterplan and the national livestock extension policy.

·       Facilitate strengthening of the technical capacity in breed improvement to guide the project beneficiaries in breed selection and improvement.

·       Facilitate strengthening of agricultural and nutrition institutions and innovation systems for food security.

·       Ensure that the extension training materials covers range of production systems and incorporate approaches for climate change adaptation and mitigation and gender-sensitive agricultural and rural development.

·       Evidence-based action plan through data collection and analysis

·       Promote resilience through early warning systems, conflict mitigation and crisis prevention.

Senior Research Fellow/Asst. Professor (having rose through the ranks from Assistant Research Fellow, from 2011 to date) at the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

Nature of work and responsibilities:

·       Research and training in food security and poverty reduction.

·       Studies and modeling food security, forecasting yield shortages, and designing preventive measures using decision-support tools and management techniques.

·       Development and implementation of roadmaps for food sufficiency and security in collaboration with National Food Reserve Agency and National Food Security Program

·       As Assistant Head – Agricultural Services- duties include planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of extension services and REFILS activities across North-west Nigeria; Engagement in multi-partner projects in collaboration with agencies such as IFAD, FAO, IITA, ICRISAT, WAAPP.

·       Source and manage funds.

·       As senior lecturer and member, Faculty Board of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria: Teaching, research, and supervision at postgraduate and undergraduate levels.

·       As Coordinator of the National Farmers Helpline, Northwest Regional Centre, IAR: Manage the helpline studio and personnel, provide technical backstop, and escalate calls from farmers to other centers and institutes.

·       As Officer of the Partnership for Agricultural Research, Education and Development (PAIRED) – a collaborative project of CORAF, USAID, and IAR:  Coordinate knowledge transfer and management; training of trainers (ToT); coordinate information flow among stakeholders.

·       As Desk Officer (IAR-Nigeria) Market of Innovations and Agricultural Technologies (MITA) – a project of USAID and WECARD/CORAF: Knowledge management in a digital market of agricultural innovations.

·       As Socio-economist of the COMPRO II Project of IITA, IFAD, and FAO: Coordinated a nationwide survey of agricultural enterprises.

·       Central Organizing Committee – Northwest Research-extension-farmer-Input-linkage-System REFILS)

·       Facilitate trainings and capacity development sessions.

Member, Central Steering Committee and Chairman, Technical Sub-Committee (2020 to 2023) Katsina State Rural Infrastructure and Economic Revitalization (KARIER) Programme of the Katsina State Government and partners at the height of armed banditry and the resultant food shortages.

Nature of work and responsibilities:

·       Project design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation across rural communities of Katsina State.

·       Purchasing, stocking and destocking reserves for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other victims of crises.

·       Collaborate with project stakeholders to design and develop project plans.

·       Identify the unique needs and challenges of rural communities in Katsina State.

·       Create comprehensive project strategies and frameworks to address these needs.

·       Ensure that project design aligns with the broad goals and objectives of the state.

·       Oversee the execution of project activities within rural communities.

·       Collaborate with local partners, community leaders, and project team members in early warning and food security.

·       Mobilize and manage resources, budgets, and timelines to ensure smooth implementation.

·       Address any issues or obstacles that may arise during project execution.

·       Establish a robust monitoring system to track progress and outcomes.

·       Regularly collect and analyze data related to project performance.

·       Conduct site visits to ensure that project activities are on track and meeting set standards.

·       Use data to make informed decisions and adjustments to project strategies.

·       Conduct thorough evaluations to assess the impact and effectiveness of the project.

·       Collect feedback from community members and stakeholders to gauge satisfaction and address concerns.

·       Prepare reports and presentations summarizing evaluation findings and recommendations.

·       Use evaluation results to inform future project planning and improvements.

·       Build and maintain strong relationships with community leaders and members.

·       Foster community participation and ownership in project activities.

·       Ensure that the project is culturally sensitive and respects local traditions.

·       Address community concerns in a transparent and collaborative manner.

·       Provide training and capacity-building opportunities to local partners and community members.

·       Empower the community to take active roles in sustaining project benefits beyond its completion.

·       Facilitate knowledge transfer and skills development within the community.

Research Fellow (2018 to 2019) International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)/IFAD – Enhancing capacity to apply research evidence in policy for youth engagement in agribusiness and rural economic activities in Africa (CARE) Project.

Nature of work and responsibilities:

·       Academic research: design, data collection, analysis, and publications.

·       Resource mobilization and disbursement.

·       Prepare regular project reports and updates for organizational leadership and donors.

·       Communicate project progress, challenges, and successes to relevant stakeholders.

·       Contribute to the organization's strategy to raise awareness of the project's impact.

·       Facilitate knowledge transfer and skills development.

Desk Officer (2013 to 2015) IAR/West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) Adopted Villages and Schools Project.

Nature of work and responsibilities:

·       Baseline survey

·       Coordinate adopted villages and schools’ activities.

·       Social safeguard of the project

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (2013 to 2015) Moma’s Farm Project (sponsored by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)

Nature of work and responsibilities:

·       Planning, monitoring, and evaluation of project activities across Kano, Katsina, and Kaduna States.

Socio-Economist (2012 to 2015) Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) – Soil Health Project, ABU Zaria

Nature of work and responsibilities:

·       Development of extension materials for sustainable farming systems and soil fertility management

·       Monitoring, evaluation and learning activities.

·       Coordinate surveys, data collection and analysis.

High School Teacher (2010 to 2011) Oyo State Ministry of Education/NYSC

Nature of work and responsibilities:

·       Teaching at senior secondary school, providing counseling services, leadership, and mentorship.

Student Industrial Trainee/Intern (June to December 2009) Agric Business Unit of First Bank of Nigeria, Plc

Nature of work and responsibilities:

·       Assist the business manager in risk assessment and creditworthiness analyses of agricultural enterprises.

·       Development of bankable and sustainable agribusiness plans.

·       Agribusiness and financial advisory services

CONSULTANCIES EXECUTED:

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, USA, CGIAR Initiative on Seed Equal - Market Intelligence and Product Profiling Design (MIPP), 2023.

·       Demand-side study on cereals and legumes seed systems in Nigeria with the aim of scaling equitable access and reaching the unreached with quality seed.

·       Gender analysis of the study.

Indorama Fertilizer and Petrochemical Company, Eleme. 2022 to 2023

·       Development, review, and translation of good agricultural practices (GAPs)/production guides.

National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW). 2021               

·       Study on the Farming Systems and climate change impact in 11 Sahelian frontline states of Nigeria.

Farm Innovation Ltd (a foremost private agricultural technology services provider) 2020 to 2021

·       Development, review, and translation of extension materials and formatting for digital delivery such as short messaging services (SMS), interactive voice response (IVR), and app contents.