VSLA Officer – MMC and Jere

About the role

INTERSO is recruiting a VSLA Officer for the livelihood project in MMC, Jere and Mafa LGAs, Nigeria. Reporting to the Livelihood Project Manager, the officer sets up and strengthens Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) among livelihood facility members such as tailors, fish farmers, irrigating farmers and feed mill operators, so they can save, borrow and reinvest without depending on the project.

Key responsibilities

• Map existing VSLAs, savings practices and financial service providers, and decide with the Business Development Officer where to strengthen groups and where to form new ones.
• Mobilise members through information sessions, explaining that VSLAs are voluntary, self-managed and self-financed, and ensure inclusive participation.
• Form or reactivate VSLAs, train groups in core modules, and support election of management committees, constitutions and share values.
• Supply savings kits (cash box, passbooks, stamps, ledger, calculator) and visit groups regularly to coach on meetings, record keeping, cash box security and loan management.
• Help members plan loans for productive use, run short financial literacy sessions, and coordinate with the Business Development Officer so VSLA savings complement cooperative reserves.
• Link mature groups to banks, microfinance institutions and mobile money, and prepare credit-ready groups for microfinance linkage.
• Identify and train community-based trainers, certify them and agree fee-for-service or volunteer arrangements.
• Collect monthly performance data using a standard MIS or digital tool, submit monthly reports and flag at-risk groups.
• Protect members' money: never handle or keep group funds, never act as key holder, and follow PSEA, safeguarding, confidentiality and security procedures.

Required profile

• University degree (B.Sc or HND) in Economics, Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Cooperative Studies, Agricultural Economics, Social Sciences or a related field.
• At least 3 years of experience forming, training and supervising VSLAs or similar savings groups, including one full cycle to share-out.
• Experience training adults with low literacy in savings, loans and record keeping.
• Experience working with NGOs, UN agencies or government programmes in North-East Nigeria.
• Fluent Hausa and good written and spoken English; Kanuri is an asset.

Required skills

• Desirable: certified training in a recognised VSLA methodology, financial literacy or microfinance.
• Desirable: experience linking savings groups to banks, microfinance or mobile money, and using a VSLA MIS or tools such as Kobo Toolbox or ODK.
• Desirable: experience with livelihoods programmes for farmers, fish farmers or artisans, and training community-based trainers.
• Proficiency in MS Office or Google Workspace, especially spreadsheets.