State Coordinator – Ebonyi

About the role

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is seeking a State Coordinator to lead the implementation of the I‑Youth 2.0 programme in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. This 2‑year renewable contract role will oversee youth agripreneur activities, manage a state‑level project team, and ensure alignment with IITA’s strategic objectives.

Key responsibilities

• Lead day‑to‑day implementation of I‑Youth 2.0 activities in Ebonyi, adhering to approved workplans, budgets and timelines.
• Supervise and manage the state project team, including technical officers and field staff, ensuring high performance and quality delivery.
• Coordinate state‑level training, enterprise development and incubation for youth agripreneurs in priority value chains, handling recruitment, selection and progress tracking.
• Oversee operations of the state‑based Agribusiness Park or incubation hub where applicable.
• Build and maintain relationships with state ministries, traditional institutions, private sector actors and financial institutions.
• Collect, analyse and report monitoring and evaluation data; maintain a network of I‑Youth trained agripreneurs and alumni.
• Manage the state budget and procurement in compliance with IITA policies and donor requirements.
• Prepare narrative and financial reports for the Country Coordinator and ensure safeguarding, ethics and policy compliance.
• Represent the project at meetings, events and stakeholder engagements within the state.

Required profile

• Master’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Business Administration, Development Studies, Economics, Social Sciences or a related discipline.
• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in project coordination, agribusiness development or youth entrepreneurship programmes.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage budgets.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills with government, private sector and community groups.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English.

Required skills

• Monitoring and evaluation
• Budget management