Job Overview

AgDiL is seeking a Senior Agronomist in Abuja to lead ginger and sesame value-chain development. Requires a Master’s degree and 10 years’ experience.

Senior Agronomist (Lead Agronomist) at AgriFood Digital Library and Resource Center

Posted: August 14, 2026
Deadline: Not specified
Job Type: Full Time
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Job Field: Agriculture / Agro-Allied
Experience: 10 years
Remuneration: Competitive remuneration package

Job Overview

AgriFood Digital Library and Resource Center (AgDiL) is seeking a Senior Agronomist (Lead Agronomist) for a proposed multi-year agricultural development programme focused on strengthening Nigeria’s ginger and sesame value chains.

The planned programme will focus on improving farm productivity, promoting climate-smart agriculture, strengthening market systems, and improving last-mile agricultural services across selected states.

This is currently a solicitation-phase opportunity. The position is intended for potential deployment if the programme is awarded and the required funding is approved. Candidates should therefore understand that selection at this stage does not necessarily mean immediate project deployment.

What the Senior Agronomist Will Do

The Senior Agronomist will provide technical leadership on crop production and help ensure that the programme’s agronomic approaches translate into practical improvements for farmers and agribusinesses.

The role combines field-level agronomy with technical management. The successful candidate will work with State Agronomists, entrepreneurs, input companies, research organizations, extension partners, and programme leadership to improve production practices and maintain technical standards across implementation locations.

Key areas of responsibility include:

Lead Agronomic Strategy and Crop Productivity

The successful candidate will:

• Develop and implement agronomic strategies aimed at improving productivity, profitability, and resilience in ginger and sesame production.
• Develop and improve practical Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) materials and technical guides suitable for extension workers and farmers.
• Assess whether recommended inputs, technologies, and production practices are delivering the expected results under field conditions.
• Provide technical direction to State Agronomists and implementation teams.
• Monitor field performance and recommend practical responses to production challenges.

Support Demonstration Plots and Agricultural Innovation

The role will also involve testing and promoting practical technologies and improved production methods.

Responsibilities include:

• Designing, establishing, managing, and evaluating demonstration plots.
• Working with seed suppliers, input companies, and technology providers to test improved products under local conditions.
• Creating feedback channels involving farmers, entrepreneurs, extension teams, and private-sector partners.
• Promoting climate-smart farming, integrated soil fertility management, efficient input use, and sustainable land management.
• Supporting the introduction and wider use of improved crop varieties and productivity-enhancing technologies that fit local production and market needs.

Build Technical Capacity

A major part of the position will be helping programme partners and field teams strengthen their agronomic knowledge.

The Senior Agronomist will:

• Develop and deliver practical agronomy training for entrepreneurs, producer groups, extension agents, and field teams.
• Strengthen the ability of programme partners to provide consistent and commercially relevant agricultural advice.
• Conduct technical supervision visits and identify areas requiring improvement.
• Contribute to training manuals, extension materials, technical tools, and digital advisory content.
• Help ensure that interventions are technically sound while remaining practical and scalable.

Work With Partners and Programme Leadership

The position requires regular engagement with organizations involved in agricultural research, inputs, government, extension, and private-sector development.

The successful candidate will:

• Develop technical partnerships with research institutions, universities, government agencies, input companies, and other private-sector organizations.
• Review field performance data, adoption trends, and productivity results to support programme decisions.
• Identify emerging agronomic risks and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.
• Contribute to programme reports, technical documentation, learning materials, and knowledge sharing.
• Advise programme leadership on crop production, productivity improvement, and agronomic risk management.

Qualifications and Experience

The detailed requirements specify a Master’s degree in one of the following areas:

• Agronomy
• Crop Science
• Soil Science
• Agricultural Extension
• A related discipline

Applicants should also have at least 10 years of progressive professional experience in agronomy, crop production, agricultural advisory services, or large-scale agricultural development programmes.

The position further requires experience in:

• Leading technical teams and maintaining agronomic standards across multiple locations.
• Ginger and sesame production systems.
• Climate-smart agriculture and integrated crop management.
• Soil fertility management.
• Developing Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) materials.
• Establishing and managing demonstration plots.
• Farmer training and agricultural extension.
• Working with input suppliers, seed companies, and agricultural technology providers.

Strong analytical, communication, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills are also expected.

Additional Experience That May Strengthen an Application

Experience in market systems development or private-sector-led agricultural programmes would be an advantage.

Candidates who have worked on commercially viable agricultural innovations or helped strengthen agricultural extension systems may also have an edge, based on the preferred qualifications listed for the role.

Remuneration

The vacancy states that the successful candidate will receive a competitive remuneration package. No specific salary figure has been provided.

Who May Be a Good Fit?

This role is geared toward an experienced agricultural professional rather than an entry-level agronomist.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate substantial practical experience alongside technical knowledge, particularly in crop production and agricultural development. Experience working across multiple locations, coordinating technical teams, and translating agronomic recommendations into field-level results will be particularly relevant.

The emphasis on ginger and sesame also means applicants should make any direct experience with these crops easy to identify in their CV.

Shortlisted candidates should also be prepared to discuss their technical leadership experience, agricultural development projects, team management and approach to solving field-level challenges. Reviewing 30 Common Job Interview Questions in Nigeria can help you prepare concise examples that demonstrate your experience and leadership ability.

A Practical Tip Before Applying

For a senior technical position such as this, a general CV is unlikely to present your experience as effectively as a targeted one.

Before submitting your application, highlight specific achievements involving agronomy, ginger or sesame production, farmer training, extension systems, demonstration plots, input or seed partnerships, climate-smart agriculture, and leadership of multi-location agricultural programmes where these apply to your background.

Important Application Note

The original vacancy instructs applicants to use “Communications Manager – Solicitation Phase Application” as the email subject. That subject does not correspond with the advertised Senior Agronomist position.

Because the source vacancy contains this apparent inconsistency, applicants should verify the correct subject line with the recruiting organization or through the official application channel before sending their documents rather than assuming the wording is correct.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For a senior technical position, the way you present your experience can be just as important as the experience itself. Our guide on how to write a professional CV in Nigeria that gets interviews explains how to structure your CV around relevant achievements, leadership experience and skills that match the employer’s requirements.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates are instructed to either apply online on AgriFood Digital Library and Resource Center (AgDiL)  recruitment platform or submit an updated CV and a one-page cover letter to:

jobs@agdil.com

The CV should highlight relevant technical and leadership experience.