Job Title: Market Linkage Officer
Location: Bade, Yobe
Overall Responsibilities
- The Market Linkage Officer will lead the development and facilitation of structured market linkages for farmers, Producer Marketing Organizations (PMOs), cooperatives, SMEs and youth- and women-led enterprises under the Agri-Food System Transformation and Innovation (AFTI) project in Bade LGA, Yobe State.
- The Officer will support the transition of smallholder farmers from fragmented and informal spot markets to coordinated aggregation, structured trading, and sustainable business-to-business (B2B) relationships.
- The position will conduct value chain and market assessments, identify and profile buyers and service providers, strengthen market readiness of PMOs and enterprises and facilitate buyer–seller engagements.
- The Market Linkage Officer will work closely with Business Advisors / Community Mobilizers, Post-Harvest & Infrastructure Officer, Financial Inclusion Officer, Digital Innovation Officer, PMOs, private-sector actors, government institutions, and other value chain stakeholders to ensure that production, aggregation, post-harvest handling, finance, quality standards, and market demand are effectively connected.
Key Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager / Technical Lead, the Market Linkage Officer will be responsible for:
Market Assessment and Intelligence:
- Lead value chain mapping and market assessments for priority commodities and enterprises.
- Identify and maintain a database of buyers, processors, aggregators, wholesalers, retailers, input suppliers, and other market actors.
- Analyse market demand, prices, quality standards, volumes, seasonality, packaging, and buyer requirements.
- Provide timely market information and identify emerging opportunities for farmers and enterprises.
Market Linkages and B2B Engagement:
- Facilitate linkages between PMOs, cooperatives, SMEs, women/youth-led enterprises, and structured buyers.
- Organize buyer–seller meetings, business forums, exhibitions, and market/investment linkage events.
- Support PMOs and enterprises to understand contracts, pricing, quality, delivery, and payment terms.
Aggregation, Quality and Value Addition:
- Support aggregation and bulking plans to meet buyer volume and quality requirements.
- Work with the Post-Harvest & Infrastructure Officer to ensure products meet required quality, grading, moisture, packaging, and storage standards.
- Identify opportunities for value addition and higher-value markets across priority commodities.
- Link producers with logistics providers to improve transportation and reduce transaction costs.
Enterprise and Financial Linkages:
- Support PMOs and enterprises to develop business profiles, product catalogues, quotations, and marketing materials.
- Work with the Financial Inclusion Officer to facilitate access to financing linked to viable market opportunities.
- Promote increased participation of women and youth in processing, aggregation, logistics, packaging, trading, and digital market services.
Monitoring, Reporting and Coordination:
- Monitor B2B agreements, transactions, prices, volumes, delivery, quality, and payment performance.
- Maintain updated records of buyers, agreements, transactions, and market opportunities.
- Coordinate with government institutions, private-sector actors, financial institutions, processors, and other stakeholders.
- Document success stories, lessons learned, challenges, and market opportunities.
- Collect market data and contribute to project indicators, including increased income among supported enterprises and producer groups.
- Prepare regular activity reports and ensure compliance with COOPI / WFP standards on gender, safeguarding, protection, and accountability.
Additional Responsibilities:
- Stay abreast of developments in conflict sensitive programming and humanitarian response.
- Perform other duties as necessary, commensurate with professional background and experience, as deemed by the supervisor.
Experience and Qualification
- Bachelor’s Degree or HND in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Business Administration, Economics, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Development Studies, or a related field.
- 3–5 years of relevant professional experience in market systems development, value chain development, agribusiness, market linkage, business development, private-sector engagement, or related development programmes.
- Experience working with NGOs, humanitarian / development programmes, cooperatives, farmer organizations, or community-based institutions.
- Demonstrated experience facilitating buyer–seller relationships, commercial partnerships, offtake agreements, contract farming, or B2B transactions.
- Strong understanding of agricultural commodity markets, particularly grain and other relevant value chains.
- Practical experience working with farmer cooperatives, PMOs, aggregators, processors, wholesalers, retailers, institutional buyers, or rural SMEs.
- Knowledge of post-harvest management, aggregation, storage, processing, and value addition is highly desirable.
- Experience working with financial institutions, logistics providers, digital platforms, or other market service providers is an advantage.
- Strong negotiation, communication, facilitation, networking, and relationship-management skills.
- Good understanding of inclusive market systems, with demonstrated ability to promote participation of women, youth, and vulnerable groups.
- Experience using Excel, Kobo / ODK, digital market information systems, or similar tools is an advantage.
- Fluency in English and Hausa and/or relevant local languages spoken in Bade LGA.
- Willingness and ability to undertake frequent field travel and engage with market actors across Bade LGA and surrounding markets.
- Commitment to COOPI / WFP standards on safeguarding, gender, protection, accountability, inclusion, and ethical conduct.
- Strong communication and teamwork skills.
Application Closing Date
8th September, 2026.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply below USING APPLY ONLINE NOW BUTTON
Note
- Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
- Qualified female applicants are especially encouraged to apply and people with disabilities.
- Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
- Cooperazione Internazionale is an equal opportunity employer.
- We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
- Kindly note COOPI does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process.