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Bilingual (English and Russian); Agriculture and rural development expert with PhD in Agrultual Economics.I have over 26 years experience in West Africa on agricultural productivity increases, value chain and market development as well as grains quality improvement. I am seeking for long or short term assignment. I can relocate. I have led both World Bank and USAID funded Projects. |
 Contact Damian Chikwendu
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Area of Expertise: |
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Agriculture, Livelihoods, Microfinance, Rural
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Director, CEO, COP, President
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Fundraising, Business Development, Grants Writer
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Monitoring, Evaluation, Policy, Research, Analysis
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Professional Experience: |
I hold a Ph. D in Agricultural Economics. I have many years of experience in teaching, agricultural research, research management, agricultural extension and project management. At Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, I worked as an extension specialist, researcher/lecturer and rose to the rank of Professor and was also an Assistant Director, Research and Planning at the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), a research institute within the university. I joined the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) in 2007 as Director of Agricultural Extension and Policy. I was the National Project Coordinator for a $56million World Bank funded Project in Nigeria called the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP), from 2010-2015. I worked for CNFA as the Team Leader of a USAID/ NESTLE funded project “Feed the Future Nigeria and Nestle Maize Quality Improvement Partnership”. I have consulted for many national and international organizations, World Bank, USAID, UNICEF, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), Agricultural Projects Monitoring and Evaluation Unit (APMEU), Leventis Foundation Agricultural Schools, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) funded Community-based Agriculture and Rural Development Programme (CBARDP), West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD), World Bank funded Fadama II, Fadama III and TRIMING Projects.
I have experience in project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, as well as on impact assessment. I was the head of Planning and Evaluation Programme at NAERLS, ABU, Zaria for 12 years. At ARCN, among other things, I worked on impact assessment of agricultural research technologies. I worked on issues related to revitalization and transformation of the agricultural research and extension systems. At WAAPP Nigeria, I worked on issues related to impact-oriented, client-oriented agricultural research and extension. In this regard, I managed on daily basis, new ways of putting research results into use. I have good experience of working with public institutions as well as the private sector. I have good experience of working with national and international agricultural research organizations, like the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD), CTA and the World Bank. In 2010, after successfully preparing the Nigeria country documents for participation in WAAPP, I was invited by the World Bank to assist Liberia to prepare their country documents. I also participated in the pre-appraisal mission of the World Bank to Liberia. Similarly, on the invitation of CORAF/WECARD and the World Bank, I undertook mentoring mission to WAAPP Liberia. I have also supported CORAF/WECARD in supervision missions of WAAPP Ghana and Gambia.
I have enormous practical experience on West African agriculture. For many years my work centred on ways of increasing agricultural productivity. From there my work shifted to value chain development and improving market linkages. At CNFA my work was on ways of improving the quality of maize and soyabeans. This had to do with reducing the levels of contaminants like afflation and fumonisins as well as aluminium in grains.
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Education: |
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I studied Agricultural Economics at Odessa Agricultural Institute in Ukraine, between 1980 and 1985. I later registered for PhD at the same school in 1985 and defended my PhD in 1988.
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Affiliations and Achievements: |
Private Sector Experience
-Director, Meta Agri-Business Consultancy
Membership of Professional Societies
-Member, Farm Management Association of Nigeria.
-Member, Association of Agricultural Economists of Nigeria.
-Member, Agricultural Society of Nigeria
-Member, Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria
-Member, Association for International Agricultural Extension and Education
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Available for: |
- Consulting assignments
- Job opportunities
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Years of Experience:
More than 20 years |
Highest Qualification:
Doctorate |
Languages:
English, I speak both English and Russian |
Nationality:
Nigeria
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