Nigeria: Food Security Analysis Officer, Abuja, Nigeria

Dec 8, 2023 | Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
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The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. The goal of FAO is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. FAO’s mandate is to improve nutrition, increase agricultural productivity, raise the standard of living in rural populations and contribute to global economic growth. In order to meet the demands posed by major global trends in agricultural development and challenges faced by member nations, FAO has identified key priorities on which it is best placed to intervene. The main areas of work on which FAO Nigeria will concentrate its efforts in striving to achieve its vision and global goals include are contained in the new Country Programming Framework (CPF) 2023 – 2027. Under this framework, four strategic pillars/priorities for have been proposed: 1. Sustainable and inclusive agri-food systems for improved productivity: Strengthen inclusive, climate smart agri-food value chains and diversified production systems as well as inclusive economic development through decent jobs. 2. Increasing resilience of food and agriculture – based livelihood systems: Strengthen national, state, local and community-level capacities for disaster risk management, anticipatory action, efficient response to agricultural threats, emergencies, and resilience building. 3. Healthy and nutritious diets: Support enhanced food security and improved nutrition, including promoting nutritious food and increasing access to healthy diets. 4. Sustainable natural resource management and climate action: Support improved Sustainable natural resource management and climate action. To back its interventions in Nigeria, FAO has a Representation in Abuja, a sub-office in Maiduguri (Borno state) and field offices in Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba and Sokoto.

Context

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh in the world. According to International Monetary Fund (IMF), there were an estimated 216.75 million people in the country by the beginning of 2022.1 Nigeria’s economy is one of the biggest in Sub-Saharan Africa with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) worth 441 billion USD and a per capita GDP of 2 400 USD in 2021. The northeast region of Nigeria comprises six states, namely: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe. The region has an approximate population of about 30.6 million people, most of whom live in rural areas. The three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe have been facing protracted conflict for more than a decade due to the long Boko Haram insurgency, which resulted in massive displacements of people, significant human, social and economic losses and protracted food insecurity particularly in Borno State. There were more than 2.2 million displaced persons across the three states in 2022, majority of whom were in Borno. Despite the volatile security, the FAO has observed relative returns of displaced persons to their communities of origin. However, the fragile security of the northeast context largely remains one issue that continues to threaten food security in the region. The October 2022 findings of Cadre Harmonisé (CH2) analysis of food and nutrition insecurity indicates over 4 million people in BAY states will face acute food insecurity from June through August 2023 – the peak of the lean season. Nigeria is ranked fifth among the 10 largest food crises in the world, with an estimate 25.3 million people (more than 1 in 10 Nigerians) are projected to experience acute food insecurity across 26 states and the FCT. The underlying causes and vulnerabilities to food insecurity and malnutrition have not been adequately addressed, neither has resilience building been adequately supported. Humanitarian response is at full scale in the BAY states, mainly in Borno, coordinated by the Food Security Sector. The sector and other humanitarian partners require regular monitoring of food security, agricultural livelihoods, market functioning and other related indicators for proper planning and programming. FAO supports the role fo Food Security Analysis coordination led by Government. FAO also supports the coordination role of the food security sector3, led by the FAO’s Northeast Emergency and Resilience office based in Borno. The request for a UNV aims to strengthen FAO’s capacity in operating across the emergency humanitarian – resilience – development axis in the affected states of Nigeria. The UN volunteer will be based at FAO country office supporting the activities of FAO food security analysis unit and the Food Security Sector.

Task description

Support the FAO food security analysis unit in the planning and execution of food security, agriculture livelihoods vulnerability assessments, data analysis, reporting, information management, and the development of advocacy materials, including the Data In Emergencies (DIEM)-Monitoring; ü Provide technical support to the development of methodology, update of survey tools, and drafting of the monthly Humanitarian Situation Monitoring (HSM) report. ü Proactively propose ideas for funding the food security information analysis unit, and participate in proposal development; ü Contribute to the coordination of Cadre Harmonise processes including the analysis cycles, capacity gap analysis and training of CH analysts, advocacy, communication and resource mobilization; ü Provide overall support to food security sector coordination mechanisms. Specifically, support food security sector information management through regular collation of 5Ws. Support the food security sector coordinator in organising meetings with Government and sector partners; ü Support the resources mobilisation efforts for the Food Security activities

Eligibility criteria

Age: 27 – 80

Additional eligibility criteria

This assignment is funded by the Government of Korea and therefore specific criteria apply: - Candidates must be Korean nationals. - Candidates who have already served as UN Volunteer Specialist funded by the Government of Korea are not eligible to apply (former UN University and UN Youth Volunteers are eligible). - Candidates may apply to a maximum of three assignments and indicate the order of preference in the ‘Additional remarks’ field when filling in the application form. - Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The selection will be done by the UN Host Entity at the level of the country of assignment. APPLICATION DEADLINE: 22 December 2023 +++ UN Volunteer entitlement calculator: https://app.unv.org/calculator +++

Nationality

Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Requirements

Required experience

3 years of experience in

•  Post-disaster, crisis and conflict settings;
•  an evolving and complex humanitarian context and within multidisciplinary and different cultural background teams; d7ZE0za BIpnb
•  formulation, sampling, data collection, coordination, implementation, data analysis, interpretation and reporting for assessment processes in agriculture and food security;
•  remote data collection in the area of food security and in emergencies;
•  advanced statistics with ability to use statistical software packages (such as SPSS, STATA and/or R);
•  using and programming questionnaires in Open data kits (such as Kobo toolbox);
•  Knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing

Area(s) of expertise

Agriculture, Crisis and emergency response, Development programmes

Languages

English, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

Bachelor degree or equivalent in Agriculture, Food Security, Rural Development, Humanitarian Affairs, and related disciplines.

Competencies and values

☒Accountability ☒Adaptability and Flexibility ☒Commitment and Motivation ☒Communication ☒Creativity ☒Judgement and Decision-making ☒Planning and Organizing ☒Professionalism ☒Self-Management ☒Technological Awareness ☒Working in Teams

Other information

Living conditions and remarks

Abuja is Nigeria’s capital city which houses the seat of power – the Presidency, Parliament and Judiciary. All diplomatic missions accredited to Nigeria are based in the city, plus some 20 UN agencies with nearly 2000 staff. There is an international airport just 25km along a six lane modern road. There are daily flights to domestic and international destinations from the Abuja International Airport. The city has very good weather (generally hot with a rainy season), green spaces, high-end restaurants, luxury hotels, designer shops, large malls, and cinemas. There is also a big expat community, from a variety of different nations. Abuja is relatively safe and secure and there are nice spots around the city to provide the luxuries of a comfortable stay in the city.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. UN Volunteers committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy