Pragma is a leader in international development consulting with a focus on advancing economic growth and reform in some of the world’s most challenging environments. Throughout our 40-year history, we have implemented over 600 projects in over 75 countries. Our programs leverage public and private sector partnerships to create jobs, promote reform, and boost opportunities for trade and investment. We provide organizations with state-of-the-art knowledge management tools to develop, apply, and evaluate best practices; and we meet the needs of each project by rapidly mobilizing an international network of experts across the globe. We are headquartered in the greater Washington, DC area with satellite offices in Jordan, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen.
- Experience 7 years
- Location Abuja , Niger
- Job Field Logistics
Background
- The USAID-funded West Africa Trade and Investment Hub Project (the Trade Hub) is a five-year, $140 million tradAbijae and investment facilitation Activity awarded in September 2019 that aims to improve private sector competitiveness in West Africa through market-based approaches.
- The Trade Hub is an integral part of the Prosper Africa initiative and partners with the U.S. and West African private sector firms to generate new private-sector investment in key sectors to create jobs and increase trade between the U.S. and West Africa, including through increased utilization of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
- This Activity comprises of two main components: (i) a grant-making facility for private sector partnerships and (ii) technical assistance (T.A.) that directly supports, coordinates, and engages with qualifying recipients (i.e., partners and grantees) to achieve USAID’s trade and food security objectives. The project aims to achieve a minimum of $400 million in new private sector investment, 60,000 new jobs, and $300 million in exports by 2024.
- In addition to its co-investment partnerships, the Trade Hub also provides technical assistance to businesses so they can benefit from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which was signed in 2000 with the intent to stimulate Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy and to facilitate trade between the U.S. and the region.
- Technical assistance can be used to help improve standards, navigate AGOA procedures and regulations, facilitate linkages with U.S. distributors and other areas. The primary objective is to increase the value of exports to the United States, benefiting from duty-free status under AGOA. In addition, the Trade Hub intends to increase its AGOA supports to U.S. Embassies and private sector organizations in West Africa.
Objective:
- The main purpose for this assignment is to provide support to public and private stakeholders regarding AGOA outreach and export promotion from West Africa to the U.S.
Tasks
The tasks include but are not limited to:
- Provide information and raise awareness about AGOA’s and the United States’ import requirements, primarily via workshops and webinars in collaboration with U.S. Missions and Trade Support Organizations through West Africa;
- Identify the training needs and assist in organizing training workshops and webinars in collaboration with the AGOA Specialist;
- Support West African businesses in exporting to the U.S. market by receiving and answering questions from businesses about AGOA eligibility and how to export specific products to the U.S.;
- Support the development of the West African Exporters’ Directory, which will include key information, such as company description, certificates obtained, products’ specifications, contact details, etc., for interested U.S. buyers;
- Provide any assistance regarding AGOA if needed, especially in the event that the AGOA Specialist is away;
- Any other tasks as directed by the Trade Hub.
Deliverables and Reporting:
- The AGOA Export Promotion Officer will report to the AGOA Specialist. He/she will also collaborate closely with the Senior Market Linkage Expert and other relevant Trade Hub staff to deliver the following:
- At least 5 AGOA workshops or webinars organized through West Africa,
- At least 10 businesses advised on how to export to the U.S. under AGOA,
- The West African Exporters’ Directory is successfully launched and regularly updated.
- Monthly and quarterly reports covering all areas described above and incorporating further follow-up recommendations.
- The Consultant will work closely with the Pragma H.Q. team for administrative issues. The AGOA Specialist will review and approve monthly progress reports and LOE to be submitted with each month’s invoice.
Period and Place of Performance and Level of Effort (LOE):
- The place of performance is West Africa, and specific countries could include but are not limited to: Benin, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Togo, The Gambia.
- The consultant will collaborate with the Trade Hub to decide on activity countries.
Proposed Candidate
The successful candidate must have (or be):
- B.A / B.Sc in Agribusiness, Textiles, International Trade, Trade facilitation, or related field with at least 7 years of experience or MBA with 5 years of experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
- At least five years of experience with USAID projects (highly desired) or other similar donor programs.
- A citizen of a West African country who is fluent in both English and French.
- Previous experience in working with exporters and trade support institutions in West Africa.
- Previous experience in promoting AGOA and export to the U.S.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, and mediation skills.
Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV to: [email protected] using “AGOA Export Promotion Officer” as the subject of the mail.
Note: Only West African citizens should apply.
