EOI: Consultancy for Baseline Assessment, Mapping and Analysis of Improved Cassava Varieties, GIFT Tilapia, Rice and Dairy Value Chains in 5 Priority States

Introduction

ActionAid (AA) Nigeria is an affiliate of ActionAid International, which is a global alliance of organizations working towards achieving a world without poverty and injustice in which every person enjoys the right to a life with dignity. As a large and visible development organization, we work in 45 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Our expertise lies in community-led approaches to development and working through partnerships with the poor and other grassroots organizations.

Background

Agricultural transformation remains critical to improving food security, nutrition, and livelihoods in Nigeria. Key value chains such as cassava, rice, aquaculture (particularly GIFT tilapia), and dairy present significant opportunities for enhancing productivity, increasing incomes, and strengthening resilience among smallholder farmers and agribusiness actors.

Despite ongoing efforts, gaps persist in access to improved inputs, adoption of climate-resilient technologies, value addition, and market linkages across various value chains. Furthermore, there is a growing need to identify and document innovative practices that can be scaled or showcased to accelerate impact in agriculture value chains. 

To inform evidence-based intervention design of priority value chains in the agrifood systems sector in Nigeria, AAN will conduct a baseline assessment across the five (5) selected states in Nigeria. The assessment will focus on establishing current conditions of selected agricultural product value chains for cassava, rice, aquaculture (particularly GIFT tilapia), and dairy, identifying constraints that impede value addition, examining opportunities for upscaling, and mapping existing innovations within the selected value chains.

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to conduct a comprehensive baseline assessment, mapping, and analysis of cassava, rice, GIFT tilapia, and dairy value chains in 5 states, to inform the design of targeted interventions and identify innovations for scaling and showcasing. 

Objectives of the Baseline Assessment

The specific objectives are to:

• Establish baseline data on production systems, productivity levels, and value chain performance for cassava, rice, GIFT tilapia, and dairy. 
• Assess the level of adoption of improved varieties for cassava, rice, GIFT tilapia strains, and improved dairy practices. 
• Identify key constraints and opportunities across the selected value chains, such as input supply, production, processing, marketing, and financing. 
• Map key stakeholders, including producers, processors, input suppliers, aggregators, and service providers. 
• Identify and document existing innovations, best practices, opportunities and scalable models within the value chains. 
• Generate evidence to guide the design of context-specific and market-driven interventions.

Scope of Work

The consultant/firm will undertake the following tasks:

• Conduct a desk review of relevant policies, programme documents, and existing studies related to the four value chains including a deep dive into the five (5) priority States.
• Design a robust baseline methodology, including sampling framework and data collection tools.
• Collect both quantitative and qualitative data across 5 selected states.
• Assess production practices, yields, input usage, and access to improved technologies
• Analyse value chain dynamics, including market systems, post-harvest management practices, pricing, and value addition processes/opportunities.
• Identify barriers to the adoption of improved cassava varieties, GIFT tilapia, rice technologies, and dairy innovations.
• Document innovative practices, technologies, opportunities for smallholder farmers especially women, young people and PWDs, and business models with potential for scaling and showcasing.
• Produce a comprehensive report with actionable recommendations, and also a PowerPoint presentation with key snapshots. 
• Examine the roles and participation of women, youth, PWDs, and vulnerable groups across the selected value chains and identify barriers limiting their participation in the selected value chains.

Methodology

The assessment will adopt a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques, including:

• Desk review of secondary data and literature.
• Structured farmer/aggregators/producers’ surveys.
• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with government agencies, research institutions, private sector actors, and farmers.
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with farmers, cooperatives, commodity associations, and producer groups.
• Field observations and site visits.

Sampling should ensure representation across gender, youth, and key actor categories within each value chain.

Key Deliverables

The consultant/firm is expected to deliver:

1. Inception Report: detailing methodology, sampling strategy, work plan, and data collection tools
2. Draft Baseline Report: presenting preliminary findings;
3. Final Baseline Report: incorporating feedback, including baseline status across the four value chains, analysis of constraints and opportunities, mapping of stakeholders and market systems, documentation of opportunities, innovations and scalable practices, and clear recommendations for intervention design. 
4. Innovation Compendium/Brief: highlighting key innovations for showcasing
5. Presentation (PowerPoint): summarizing key findings and recommendations.

Duration of the Assignment

The assignment is expected to be completed within 6–8 weeks of contract signing.

Required Qualifications and Experience

The consultant (She/he) to be recruited should have the following experience:

• A good understanding and practical experience of development work, including advanced skills in Project Impact Evaluation, baseline assessment, agriculture sector value chain analysis, knowledge of casava, aquaculture, dairy and rice commodities, and agriculture policy influencing and advocacy.
• Be a graduate of Economics, Statistics, Agriculture or any related field (Masters/PhD or Professor preferred)
• Have at least a minimum of 10 years’ experience in carrying out such an assignment and capacity for baseline assessment (a report of such work done in the last 2 years is required evidence, which is to be sent along with EOI)
• Experience in developing tools for Project baseline assessments. 
• Excellent facilitation and writing skills (keeping it simplified)
• Computer literate and able to apply Microsoft Office and other analytical tools efficiently
• An excellent team worker

Submission of Expression of Interest

Please send us your expression of interest (detailing how you intend to accomplish this assignment with samples of similar jobs done within the past 2 years) and CV to procurement.nigeria@actionaid.org on or before 1st June 2026. Applications should be sent in one Microsoft Word document titled Consultancy for Baseline Assessment.

Women, youth, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage.