View Vacancy - Trade Adviser on Future Opportunities, Department for International Trade (DIT), British Deputy High Commission Lagos, Nigeria

Main purpose of job: 

As part of the UK Government’s trade team, to lead on horizon scanning   to identify future West Africa commercial opportunities for UK companies outside   of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria and the mining sector in Ghana and   Guinea; to work across the West Africa team to build the evidence-base and   generate a pipeline of business activity, with the ultimate aim of   demonstrating high value potential in different areas of the economy.

Roles and responsibilities

Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa, the continent’s largest oil producer and population coupled with long-established cultural and commercial links with the UK. It has huge long-term economic potential with vast natural resources and a young and growing population. As a result Nigeria offers a wide array of business opportunities , especially in the oil and gas sector but increasingly in the areas of renewable energy, infrastructure and agriculture. Current trade figures are good but we want to   do better.

As part of the British   Government’s commitment to increasing UK exports worldwide to £1   trillion by 2020, the UK Government’s trade team in Nigeria, with offices in   both Lagos and Abuja, is developing a trade strategy to identify and better   tap into this vast potential and increase trade between Nigeria and the UK.   The Nigeria team is also shifting to a regional approach, working with trade   colleagues in Ghana, Guinea, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal to maximise   the trading relationship with the UK across West Africa.

We are looking for a highly organised person with a strong attention to detail, ability to take the initiative, work accurately within deadlines and with limited supervision, and be a strong team member who works collaboratively. 

Key Responsibilities:

Lead the West Africa trade team’s effort to spot the developing and growing sectors of the economy in Nigeria and across the region; identify those opportunities where British business could be successful; develop a coherent and compelling evidence base to demonstrate the multi-million pound scale of these opportunities; and work with UK companies to help position them for business success, to demonstrate the value and potential in new sectors; Work with colleagues in East and Southern Africa to identify synergies and linkages between current and future business opportunities across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Roles and responsibilities: 

Through research and networks, understand the shape and direction of business in West Africa, to determine those sectors and markets which hold the most potential for UK companies to land sizeable deals;

Keep up-to-date with economic developments and innovations in Nigeria, Ghana and   other economies in West Africa to be able to identify the boom sectors of the future;

Work with colleagues across the West Africa trade team to build a robust and evidenced case for turning potential opportunities into actual business success for UK companies, including by working closely with businesses to help them land deals to prove the value of different sectors and markets and contribute to the trade team’s overall targets on exports;

Build links to trade teams across the rest of Africa to ensure a coherent, pan-African, approach to future opportunities where possible.

• Strong oral and written English communication skills;
• 2+ years of relevant experience especially in large, complex environments, in particular a sales background;    
• Excellent IT skills with ability in MS Office suite   applications e.g. Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint;
• Experience in research ;
• Ability to effectively work under tight deadlines;
• Resourcefulness in solving problems;
• Good interpersonal skills and comfortable dealing with high level officials;
• Flexible, etc (see other job descriptions);
• Strong organizational skills and keen attention to detail;
• Superior professionalism and judgment;
• Strong work ethic