Application Deadline: May 30, 2024 (at 11:59pm UTC)
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, is inviting applications for six (6) interns to work on Upstream and Advisory projects that aim to reduce the operational risks of the IFC investment projects through strengthening supply chains, addressing food security, increasing collaboration with the World Bank, building the capacities of farmers, improving product traceability, improving food safety, etc.
GrowAfrica Project 1: Expanding the capacity of an Agri-commodity trader to increase its sourcing from farmers
GrowAfrica Project 2: Promoting sustainable agricultural practices and improving business management processes for coffee farmers in Uganda
GrowAfrica Project 3: Promoting agriculture production, specifically in the poultry and coffee sectors in Angola
GrowAfrica Project 4: Increasing productivity through training and establishing a reliable supply chain to revive the cotton sector in Mozambique.
GrowAfrica Project 5: Developing a food security heatmap to guide and inform the identification of investment opportunities for IFC in Africa that will reduce dependency on imports across the continent
GrowAfrica Project 6: Identifying, engaging, and collaborating with the World Bank operations that benefit from IFC’s experience working with the private sector
By participating in these projects, interns will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of the agriculture industry and gain valuable experience in the field. The Interns will work under the overall supervision of the Project Leader and the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator.
The IFC MAS GrowAfrica Intern Program is designed to provide a platform for qualified graduate students to bridge their academic knowledge and professional practices, facilitating a smooth transition into careers. GrowAfrica will also offer them hands-on opportunities to contribute to agribusiness development in Africa with an opportunity for them to improve their own skills in agribusiness project delivery and benefit from a dynamic learning experience.
The expected date of start is 1 June – 31 July 2024 with a tenure of a Minimum of two months but not exceeding 6 months. Working hours will be no more than 40 hours per week, limited to a maximum of 160 hours a month and the internship stipend will be negotiated depending on the experience and qualifications.
Roless/Responsibilities
- Assist the Project Coordinator in coordinating/facilitating the training of farmers on Good Agricultural Practices by Robust Agronomists
- Assist the Project Coordinator in coordinating/facilitating the training and coaching of Licensed Buying Agents on good record keeping and traceability of sesame supply chain by Robust Agronomists
- Support the Project Coordinator to collect and maintain a database of relevant project documents and draft project reports
- Support project planning and quantitative data collection to monitor & track project indicators
- Monitor and update a risk register, drawing attention of Project Coordinator/Project Leader of any changes to the project risks
- Assist in the establishment of demonstration sites in each of the eight Local Government Areas (LGA) for effective participatory learning by farmers
- Assist in the supervision and guidance of farmers on the production of good quality declared seed for sale to sesame farmers under the Community Based Seed Production Programs Support program team to prepare materials and content for major activities, launches, and media outreach by the Communications team
- Contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for planning and knowledge building
- Contribute to the promotion and adoption of Sustainable Agro-ecological practices and technologies to smallholder sesame farmers
- Contribute to the development of a heatmap for priority crops in Africa and contributing to data collection efforts and stakeholder engagements
- Support the development of synergies with the World Bank by contributing to the design and implementation of World Bank operations
Eligibility
- Prefer master’s or PhD, with at least two years of work experience Studying agricultural with a specialization on crop-science, agriculture economy, agriculture science, agronomy, soil management, social science, economy, or any such relevant fields.
- Experience in specialized fields associated with the projects in Section B, Project Backgrounds, will be an added advantage
- Ability to use initiative, prioritize, multi-task, and work well under pressure to meet deadlines
- Effective communication skills in multicultural, multi-lingual (at least English for all projects, Hausa for projects in Nigeria, Portuguese for Angola/Mozambique and French for projects in Senegal) environments and good ability to work effectively as part of a multicultural and diverse team.
Requirements
- Adequate knowledge of the African agribusiness challenges, and opportunities
- Clear and systematic thinking that demonstrates good judgement and problem-solving competencies
- Sound knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and social media
- Ability to work independently or as a member of a team
- Results-oriented and team player
- Good interpersonal skills.
