Financial Inclusion Officer at COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale

COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale is an Italian humanitarian non-governmental organization founded in Milan in 1965. COOPI aims to help the world’s poorest to improve their access to healthcare, food, and financial security, and to overcome their special vulnerability to wars, civil conflicts and natural disasters. For 50 years of long-term support and constant presence in the field, COOPI has been engaged in breaking the cycle of poverty and responding to specific emergencies in numerous sectors, including Food Security, Humanitarian Aid, Health, Socio-Economical Services, Water and Sanitation, Disaster Risk Reduction, Human Rights, Education and Training, Migrations and Sustainable Energy.

We are  recruiting to fill the position below:

 Job Title: Financial Inclusion Officer

Location: Bade, Yobe
Employment Type: Full-Time

Overall Responsibilities

• The Financial Inclusion Officer will lead the establishment, strengthening, and operationalization of Community Agricultural Finance Institutions (CAFIs) across the target communities in Bade LGA under the Agri-Food System Transformation and Innovation (AFTI) project.
• The Officer will support approximately 1,500 farmers, youth, women, and rural entrepreneurs to improve access to savings, responsible credit, financial literacy, digital financial services, and productive finance.
• The position will strengthen CAFI governance, savings mobilization, revolving loan mechanisms, financial record keeping, internal controls, and linkages with formal financial institutions.
• The Officer will work closely with Business Advisors/Community Mobilizers, PMOs, Market Linkage Officer, Digital Innovation Officer, MEAL team, financial institutions, government stakeholders, and community structures to ensure that financial services are accessible, transparent, inclusive, and linked to viable agricultural and enterprise opportunities.
• The role will contribute to the sustainability of CAFIs by strengthening community ownership, digital financial records, responsible lending practices, repayment systems, and linkages to formal financial institutions.

Key Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager/Technical Lead the Financial Inclusion Officer will be responsible for:
CAFI Establishment and Governance:

• Lead the establishment and strengthening of Community Agricultural Finance Institutions (CAFIs) in Bade.
• Support inclusive governance structures, bylaws, membership rules, and operating procedures, ensuring 40% women and youth representation.
• Mobilize women, youth, smallholder farmers, and vulnerable entrepreneurs to participate in CAFIs.

Financial Literacy and Management:

• Facilitate training on savings, budgeting, financial literacy, responsible borrowing, loan management, repayment, and investment.
• Support transparent savings and revolving loan mechanisms, including loan appraisal, disbursement, utilization, and repayment.
• Strengthen financial records, digital systems, internal controls, and reconciliation processes.
• Monitor savings, loans, repayment performance, and productive use of funds.

Financial Linkages and Enterprise Support:

• Link CAFI members with microfinance banks, commercial banks, fintechs, and other financial service providers.
• Facilitate engagement with Yobe Microfinance Bank and other relevant institutions.
• Promote mobile money, digital payments, savings products, and productive financing.
• Support financing for agricultural inputs, aggregation, processing, livestock, poultry, aquaculture, and other viable enterprises.
• Work with the Market Linkage Officer and Business Advisors to align finance with market and enterprise opportunities.

Monitoring, Reporting and Accountability:

• Provide regular coaching and mentoring to CAFI leaders and members and support sustainability planning.
• Promote inclusive, transparent, accountable, and safe financial services.
• Maintain accurate records of CAFI membership, savings, loans, repayments, and financial performance.
• Collect and report data against project targets, including members accessing savings and productive credit.
• Contribute to project monitoring, reporting, documentation of success stories and lessons learned.
• Ensure compliance with COOPI/WFP financial, safeguarding, gender, inclusion, and anti-fraud requirements.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Stay abreast of developments in conflict sensitive programming and humanitarian response.
• Perform other duties as necessary, commensurate with professional background and experience, as deemed by the supervisor.

Education, Qualification and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree or HND in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Banking and Finance, Business Administration, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Development Studies, or a related field.
• 3 – 5 years of relevant experience in financial inclusion, microfinance, VSLA/CAFI development, community-based financial services, livelihoods, enterprise development, or related development programmes.
• Experience supporting digital financial records, mobile payments, digital savings/loan systems, or financial management platforms is highly desirable.
• Experience working with NGOs, humanitarian/development programmes, cooperatives, farmer organizations, or community-based institutions.
• Fluency in English and Hausa and/or relevant local languages spoken in Bade is essential.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.

Application Deadline 
8th September, 2026.

METHOD OF APPLICATION 

Interested and qualified candidates should use link below to Apply

Click here to apply online

Note:

• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
• Qualified female applicants are especially encouraged to apply and people with disabilities.
• Cooperazione Internazionale is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
• COOPI does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process.