Request for Proposal (RFP) at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CFNA)

Posted by Future on Thu 17th Feb, 2022 - nigeriantenders.com

Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) invites interested / eligible Consultants and Firm's to indicate interest by submitting RFP documents for the following works:

Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) is an international agricultural development organization that specializes in the design and implementation of sustainable, enterprise-based agricultural initiatives.

We work with businesses, foundations, governments, and communities to build customized local and global partnerships that meet the world’s growing demand for food. Since our inception in 1985, we have designed and implemented enterprise-based, agricultural development initiatives to facilitate market access, enhance agribusiness competitiveness, increase productivity, and improve access to inputs and financing in 47 countries around the world.

Applications are invited for:

Title: Request for Proposal (RFP) - Development of Delta State Aquaculture Policy

RFP Number: RFP_2022_02.001_Delta

Preamble

The five-year USAID Feed the Future Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity [The Activity], implemented by Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) with Connexus Corporation and J.E. Austin Associates as subcontractors, aims to strengthen the enabling environment for agribusiness finance and investment. To achieve this goal, the Activity focuses on four interrelated components: (i) improving the enabling environment for agricultural sector growth; (ii) broadening access to finance by mitigating the credit risks of agribusinesses; (iii) promoting and facilitating investment opportunities for agribusinesses to expand and scale up operations; and (iv) sustainably enhancing the performance of agribusiness micro, small and medium size enterprises (MSMEs). In line with the U.S. and Nigerian governments’ commitment to growing the non-oil-based economy, these efforts will increase the depth, breadth, dynamism, and competitiveness of Nigeria’s agribusiness sector. The Activity operates in seven states of Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Niger and Kebbi along soybean, maize, aquaculture, rice, and cowpea value chains.

One of the major geo-political zones of the Nigeria economy with predominant fisheries and aquaculture opportunities is the Niger Delta region. Delta State is in the Niger Delta where fisheries and aquaculture farming are fast becoming a major source of revenue to the private sector. In recognition of the large potential for job creation and poverty reduction, the government through its agricultural policy prioritized the fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector as one of the value chains that require urgent intervention.

The Delta State Government approved the new Delta Agricultural Policy on January 29 2021 in fulfillment of one of its promises to stakeholders at the public-private dialogue by the State Ministry of Agriculture on the enabling business environment in Delta State held on February 2020. Thus, setting the tone for the implementation of the policy with a primary emphasis on value chain development strategy. Further to it, the State Ministry of agriculture organized a Public Private Dialogue (PPD), supported by the Activity in September 2020, focused specifically on the development of the Aquaculture Value Chain in Delta State. The Fisheries and Aquaculture value chain PPD in Delta State brought together public sector officials and leading private sector agribusinesses and producers to review the existing policy of the sub-sector and determine priority actions to make it more responsive to the opportunities and development of the aquaculture value chain. This dialogue reviewed the exiting development in the sub-sector and identified priority actions to make the sector more responsive to the available opportunities in the state to strengthen the development of aquaculture sub-sector.

Some critical issues were identified in the PPD notably the unavailability and affordability of inputs such as fingerlings, feeds, and poor infrastructure to support the sub sector. At the end of the PPD, participants agreed on the need to develop an effective policy that will address the bottlenecks in the legal and regulatory framework in the aquaculture sub sector and bring the efforts of operators to the limelight. Given the economic importance of the aquaculture sub-sector to the agricultural ecosystem in Delta State, the Activity sought to provide short term technical assistance to develop an effective policy of the aquaculture value chain that will reinvigorate the sub sector in ensuring local food security and supporting the state agricultural sector. The policy will among others, ensure the availability of high quality, low priced inputs by setting a viable and conducive working environment that attracts private investment to the sector.

Objectives

The broad objective is to promote a competitive aquaculture value chain by creating a level playing field for all stakeholders in the value chain aimed at ensuring a conducive business enabling environment and a competitive market for empowering smallholder farmers in a sustainable manner in the state. This will entail the following:

To transform the aquaculture value chain into a highly competitive and mature market driven by strong price competition, high level market concentration and increase in private sector investment.
To increase the level of complementarity between the state agricultural policy on the one hand and aquaculture policy on the other to bring to the limelight the competitive and comparative advantages of the aquaculture value chain in the state.
To open up more opportunities in the development of aquaculture production in the state
To reduce the cost of aquaculture production inputs that would enhance profitability and consequently increase aquaculture production for sustainable food security of the country
To increase levels of concentration, specialization, vertical integration, and economies of scale in the value chain to enable small producers compete with fast expanding and highly efficient trade on aquaculture.
To improve the economic viability of aquaculture in the state by encouraging the smallholder-based production systems to diversify production, generate income, and capture positive rotation effects that improve productivity of other crops being grown.
To improve the standard of living of small-scale aquaculture growing farmers by enabling/empowering them to be self-reliant through supply of high yielding planting materials, providing agronomic support, assisting in adopting advanced agronomic practices, providing market linkages, and sharing experiences of research and development on aquaculture value chain.
To understand the roles, opportunities and constraints faced by women and youth to promote their inclusion in the value chain development.
To focus on skill development and awareness raising mainly in the context of specific value chain nodes so that women and youth can effectively participate as producers, input suppliers, processors, and marketers.

Scope of Work

The Activity will require the successful Offeror to thoroughly review the existing legal and regulatory frameworks in the state relevant to the development of a new Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy, incorporating changes in technologies,investment opportunities and any other agribusiness regulations and guidelines with a view to addressing the needs in the value chain and any other regulatory gaps as they affect the rights and obligations of the operators in the state. Thus, the consultant will clarify the goals, objectives, and desired outcomes of introducing new administrative guidelines and related regulations in the policy.

Qualification Requirements

Eligible Offerors Qualifications include:

Consulting companies (who are registered in Nigeria under the CAC and all necessary bodies); or independent consultants who are Nigerians and legally able to work in Nigeria.
The consultant must demonstrate knowledge of the assignment by clearly interpreting the terms of reference and providing a methodology and approach that will be adopted in undertaking the assignment.
10+ years of relevant experience working in agricultural policy, ideally including agricultural economics, agricultural technology, agribusiness contracts, finance and investment, agribusiness strategic partnerships.
Experience working collaboratively with institutional and private‐sector partners and stakeholders in the Nigerian agricultural sector. Working experience in the aquaculture value chain in Nigeria. Experience working with State/Federal Ministry of agriculture is preferred
Demonstrate capacity to work well in diverse teams but also productive working individually with minimum supervision.
Well organized, strong analytical skills, creative thinker, innovative, demonstrated personal initiative, stress tolerance, integrity, and ethics.
Sound knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Excellent written and oral communications skills in English.
Ability to produce various informational products under tight deadlines.
Legally able to work in Nigeria.

Application Closing Date

5:00pm (WAT), 24th February, 2022.

Submission of Documents

Offers must be submitted by email to: operations@ag-invest.org

Note

Please reference the RFP number in any response to this RFP.
Offers received after the specified time and date will be considered late and will be considered only at the discretion of CNFA
Offerors must strictly follow the provided deadlines to be considered for award.

Click Here (Ms Word) for a detailed description of the RFP.