Cultivating New Frontiers In Agriculture (CNFA)- Request For Proposal For The Development Of Delta State Aquaculture Policy

DEADLINE; 22ND FEBRUARY, 2022
CULTIVATING NEW FRONTIERS IN AGRICULTURE (CNFA)
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DELTA STATE AQUACULTURE POLICY

JOB DESCRIPTION

Section 1: Introduction, Technical Background and Scope of Work

(1.1) Introduction: 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 fulfilment 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.

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.

Offerors are responsible for ensuring that their offers are received by CNFA in accordance with the instructions, terms, and conditions described in this RFP. Failure to adhere with instructions described in this RFP may lead to disqualification of an offer from consideration.

CNFA will consider proposals in response to this RFP from eligible local Independent Consultants and Firms. International firms/individuals are not eligible to apply this assignment.

Application Submission
Offer Deadline and Protocol:  Offers must be received no later than 5:00PM, WAT on February 24, 2022. Offers must be submitted by email to operations@ag-invest.org

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. The cover page of this solicitation summarizes the important dates of the solicitation process. Offerors must strictly follow the provided deadlines to be considered for award.

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