Nairobi County, Kenya
I am a result oriented project manager with over 27 years of international work experience covering policy research, agricultural private sector and market systems development (Value Chain Analysis and M4P), inclusive business in agriculture and food security, renewable energy and public private partnerships, with an extensive record of securing funds from private sector and bi- and multilateral donors. Since I have worked for international development organizations as well as in the private sector, I know how to successfully bridge and connect these worlds, especially in Kenya and other East African countries. I am a successful team leader with an innovative mind set, and a strong conceptual thinker that embraces challenges with an analytical and creative approach. To contact me directly: [email protected]
As the co-founder and owner, I have built eProd Solutions Ltd, a company that offers an agricultural Supply Chain Management ICT platform (ERP) for SMEs (e.g. traders and food processors) and member-based organizations (e.g. farmer cooperatives and unions) that aim at building a sustainable sourcing relationship with large numbers of suppliers in agriculture, livestock, aquaculture, apiculture, etc. The system creates unique hard and software integrations, and assists its users to manage Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), Financial Inclusion, (Milk) Quality Based Payment, etc. The system functions in remote, underdeveloped areas with poor internet (2G). Currently the company operates in 20 African countries, linking about 350,000 smallholders, active in +30 different value chains to markets. The system can be configured to provide (restricted) access to multiple stakeholders that require to report on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) impact, such as NGOs or government, or private sector. Banks that partner with Anchor Firms to lend to smallholders and require credit scoring data to reduce risks, loan origination integration and automated repayment to reduce transaction costs. Or international commodity traders and food processors that require to comply with international regulations, such as Green Deal EU Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR) or Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), carbon (CRU) markets, certification schemes, etc. The company has a number of strategic partnerships with private sector, (Bűhler AG, African Milling School, AgroCares, Hello Tractor), financial institutions (Mastercard Corporation, I&M, NCBA, Stanbic, DFCU, KCB, Rabo Bank, NMB, CRDB), Mobile Network Operators, international universities, research institutions. Development financial institutions, NGOs and development contractors, UN, civil society and professional membership organizations, embassies, etc.
In my role as an Agribusiness Market Development Expert at IITA, DRC, I participated in a strategic study commissioned by FPI to identify investment opportunities and challenges for priority agricultural value chains in the Kasai region. I provided technical support to a group of international researchers to identify import substitution opportunities and recommended actions for the local private sector to capitalize on market opportunities.
In my role as Senior Technical Advisor for Value Chain Analysis (VCAs) to the Afghanistan Value Chain – High Value Crops (AVC-HVC) project (USAID funded) I conducted value chain sector studies for the medicinal crops licorice root and asafetida. Study elements included: consumer insights and market development, and the business enabling environment in a wider perspective (e.g. market constraints, gender and youth, access to finance). He coordinated AVC-HVC’s technical field staff and worked with other VCA technical advisors to conduct secondary and primary research for a complete analysis and the development of unique reports per value chain based on their findings. This process involved preparing the value chain field teams to plan analysis activities – such as focus groups or semi structured interviews – to better understand the nuanced significance of major actors and trends across each value chain.
As the Key Expert 2 (de facto Deputy Team Leader) on Value Chain Analysis and Development my main responsibility was to coordinate and advice methodologically a participatory value chain analysis and development strategy and provide training and technical assistance to the Ministries of Agriculture and Ministry of Planning on value chain and market systems approach. I coordinated the creation of a Value Chain Analysis department with the Ministry of Agriculture in the four Southern States of Somalia. A 2mln Euro EU funded 18 months program named OUTREACH - Technical Assistance for Institutional Capacity Building on Agriculture Value Chain and Public-Private Partnership Development in Somalia.
As Director Market Systems (de facto Deputy Team Leader) in the Promoting Inclusive Markets in Somalia (PIMS) supported the private companies in the agriculture and fisheries sector with transformational change in Somalia by strengthening market systems. The programme’s focus was on growth of the private sector and providing support measures required to deliver long-term job creation, assist diaspora with capacity building, identifying economic opportunities, community engagement, and policy advocacy and ultimately reduce poverty in Somalia. PIMS uses investment facilitation and cash-for-work funds to spur increased investment, market growth and enhanced productivity. Applying the M4P (Making Markets Work for the Poor) approach, PIMS addressed failures in targeted sectors in terms of small-scale infrastructure, information, coordination and access to finance. Sectors included livestock sector (dairy and poultry), agriculture sector (sesame), ocean fisheries, renewable energy (solar) and light industry and construction (cross-cutting). Consortium led by DfID the three-year PIMS was a 13 mln GBP multi-donor funded (DfID and DANIDA).