African agriculture in general, and that of West African countries in particular, suffers from low fertilizer use by producers. This shortcoming is due to several factors. On the one hand, local production of inputs is very limited, making the agricultural sector dependent on imports, whose prices are highly volatile. On the other hand, buyers—governments, private agribusiness actors, cooperatives, and small farmers—have limited budgets and face logistical challenges (distribution networks) that complicate access to products.

These constraints have prevented Africa from exploiting the enormous potential of its agricultural sector and producing enough food to feed its population and meet the challenges of food security and nutrition. It was with a view to improving the situation that the African Fertilizer Summit was held in Abuja, Nigeria, in June 2006. The Abuja Declaration recommended efforts to increase fertilizer use levels in Africa from 8 kg/ha to at least 50 kg/ha by 2015.

Following this summit, the Commissions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), as well as the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), signed a tripartite agreement for the implementation of harmonized regulations on agricultural inputs (seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers). Thus, a harmonized regulation C/REG.13/12/12 on fertilizer quality control was adopted by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in December 2012. Subsequently, an Implementing Regulation ecw/pec/ir/05/12/16 on the powers, organization, and functioning of the West African Fertilizer Control Committee (WAFCC) was signed by the President of the ECOWAS Commission in December 2016.

The COACE's mission is to support countries (15 member states, Chad, and Mauritania) and regional actors in implementing harmonized fertilizer regulations. It benefits from the support of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC). As a result, nine (9) countries have already set up their national fertilizer quality control committees.

However, despite all these initiatives and the progress made since the Abuja Summit, it is clear that agricultural productivity and production remain insufficient in West Africa. Fertilizer use is still at low levels—an average of 20 kg per year per hectare—far from the adopted targets of 50 kg of nutrients per hectare. The corollary is a heavy reliance on food imports, a continuous increase since 2010 in the proportion of the population affected by food insecurity and hunger, all in a context of growing insecurity, climate change, and declining soil fertility.

The fragility of the fertilizer sector in West Africa was laid bare by the Russia-Ukraine war in early 2022. These two countries are major global suppliers of fertilizers and the raw materials used to manufacture them, and their conflict has put pressure on the market, leading to soaring prices and shortages in West Africa.

This context explained the general mobilization at the regional level, under the auspices of ECOWAS and the World Bank, which organized a high-level round table on fertilizers and soil health in West Africa and the Sahel on May 30 and 31, 2023, in Lomé. Two important outcomes emerged from this meeting: (i) the Lomé Declaration, which highlights the key commitments of member states to improve soil health and fertility and strengthen the resilience of farmers and production systems to climate change and other exogenous shocks, and (ii) a roadmap.

This declaration and roadmap were adopted by the Ministers and Heads of State and endorsed by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers at its 90th Ordinary Session held on July 6 and 7, 2023, in Bissau, Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

The roadmap is part of the new Action Plan for Fertilizers and Soil Health in Africa, which aims to provide an operational framework for the region based on the identification of priority actions to enable the various partners to situate their future contributions within a well-articulated strategy.

The twelve (12) priority actions defined at the end of the consultation process are specific to the region and should provide practical guidance for the future commitments of the various partners within a coherent framework.

To operationalize the Lomé Declaration on Fertilizers and Soil Health and its roadmap, ECOWAS plans to recruit a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Expert for the development of the regional fertilizer market. This expert will support States in negotiating, supervising, and effectively managing agreements. The expert will be funded by the World Bank's West Africa Food System Resilience Program.

1. Justification for the need for a PPP consultant

Among the constraints limiting producers' access to mineral and organic fertilizers in West Africa, the low level of investment in the sector, particularly in production, storage, distribution, and marketing facilities, is often highlighted. However, eight West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo) have phosphates and/or natural gas, which are raw materials used in fertilizer production. These countries primarily export these raw materials in their raw state (except Nigeria) and remain dependent on imported fertilizers for agricultural production due, among other things, to high capital requirements. These investment needs also concern complementary sources of plant nutrition and soil health (organic and organo-mineral fertilizers, biofertilizers, biostimulants, soil amendments, etc.).

With a view to stepping up investment efforts to strengthen the supply of high-quality infrastructure and services in the fertilizer sector, public authorities can consider public-private partnerships (PPPs). The development of PPPs, while allowing the private sector's strengths and financing and management capabilities to be leveraged, aims to ensure a sufficient and regular supply of fertilizers. A significant improvement in supply will enable producers to increase their fertilizer consumption and thus intensify their agricultural production, which will improve regional food security in the long term.

In addition to the financial contribution, PPPs focused on organic fertilizers strengthen resilience to climate hazards (humus retains moisture better) and increasing soil organic matter is an inexpensive way to store carbon.

The recruitment of a qualified PPP expert in the fertilizer sector aims to strengthen the capacities of States and provide them with technical support for the establishment of an environment conducive to the promotion of PPPs in West Africa.

These terms of reference have been drawn up to provide guidance and specify the conditions for recruiting the expert.

2. Main Tasks of the PPP Expert

Reporting to the ECOWAS Director of Agriculture and Rural Development, the expert will work closely with IFDC, the COACE Permanent Secretariat, and the FSRP Environmental Safeguards Expert. He or she will be responsible for:

• • Strengthening the capacities of public authorities in target countries involved in the PPP process to acquire the technical and organizational knowledge needed to better manage the preparation of PPP dossiers in the fertilizer sector;
  • In partnership with the policy expert, supporting actions to modify or strengthen the policy and regulatory framework in order to create a more favorable environment for the development of all forms of public-private partnerships;
  • Supporting countries in the PPP process, particularly in the preliminary analysis, contracting, and implementation of projects to build infrastructure for fertilizer production, storage, transport, and marketing;
  • Establish and maintain relationships with private sector organizations in the fertilizer industry and with producer organizations in target countries;
  • Collaborate with financial institutions, donors, and foundations to design financing models that meet the needs of agricultural product distributors and traders in the fertilizer sector, leveraging existing partnerships for sustainability;
  • Regularly disseminate market research and investment opportunities in the fertilizer sector to stakeholders, in coordination with existing industry players;
  • Initiate and manage public-private partnerships (PPPs) to develop fertilizer production and improve the supply of this input, in partnership with stakeholders.

3. Key deliverables expected from the expert

• • At least seven (7) PPP dossiers are prepared;
  • At least four (4) memoranda of understanding or negotiation agreements signed between states and the private sector;
  • An information platform on the market, investment opportunities, and successful PPPs is set up;
  • At least three (3) regional capacity-building workshops on PPPs are conducted .

4. Expert Profile:

The expert sought must meet the following qualification and experience requirements:

• • Hold a higher education degree (Bac+5) in public law and/or business law, business management, international trade, international finance, or any other equivalent degree;
  • Have at least eight years of proven experience in transaction advisory services, conducting or assisting governments, contracting authorities, or private entities in the legal structuring of PPP projects;
  • Have completed at least three (3) assignments in the drafting of legal texts and/or the implementation of a PPP project;
  • Have a good knowledge of the agricultural sector, the fertilizer sector and its players, as well as agricultural policies in West Africa;
  • Experience working in a regional institution in West Africa (ECOWAS, UEMOA, CILSS, CORAF, etc.) is an asset;
  • Be fluent in one of the three ECOWAS languages, namely French, English, or Portuguese, and have a good knowledge of one of the other two .

5. Location and duration of the assignment

The expert will be based at the Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development in Abuja, Nigeria. The duration of the assignment is for the entire life of the project after a six-month probationary period. However, the successful consultant will be offered a renewable annual contract for the duration of the project. The position is full-time.

6. Selection process

The selection process will take place in two phases:

• CV analysis phase: at the end of this phase, candidates will be ranked in order of merit based on the scores obtained in the CV evaluation. Only the top six (06) candidates who have been shortlisted after the CV evaluation and who have obtained a minimum qualifying score of 75 out of 100 will be contacted for the interview phase;
• Interview phase: Preselected candidates will be interviewed individually by a panel made up of members of an evaluation committee. The best candidate at the end of the interview will be selected for contract negotiations.

7. Application files

The application file must include:

• A signed letter of interest, indicating the date of availability;
• A recent, signed resume detailing professional experience and similar assignments;
• Three professional references (first and last names, current and previous positions, email addresses, and phone numbers);
• A certified copy of the highest degree in the relevant field;
• Copies of the work or service certificates mentioned in the resume.