VSLA & FINANCIAL INCLUSION COORDINATOR

ABOUT US

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty. This means that we tackle the inequality that keeps people poor. Together we save, protect and rebuild lives. When disaster strikes, we help people build better lives for themselves and for others. We take on issues like land rights, climate change and discrimination against women. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can enjoy life free from poverty.

We are an international confederation of 22 organizations (affiliates) plus the Oxfam International Secretariat, all working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 77 countries. All our work is led by our core values: Empowerment, Accountability, Inclusiveness, Courage, Solidarity and Equality.

Oxfam Novib “Nigeria” is looking for VSLA & FINANCIAL INCLUSION COORDINATOR

Duty station: “Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State”

Type of appointment: “Fixed-term Contract”

Contract duration: “12 months” (With Possibility of renewal depending on budget and performance)

Work schedule: “Full-time” (40 hours per week)

Reports to: “Consortium Project Manager”

Salary & Scale: “Grade Level C2 – Annual Gross Salary (N12,000,000.00)

Start date: “January 1, 2026”

Deadline for applications: “December 12, 2025”

Status: National Position

Preference: Candidates residing in Kebbi State are strongly encouraged to apply.

CONTEXT

The VSLA and Financial Inclusion Coordinator will collaborate with government ministries, community structures, civil society, financial service providers, and market actors to advance resilient livelihoods and inclusive financial systems in Kebbi State and support Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), market linkages, agricultural value chains, and social protection approaches—ensuring coordinated delivery, learning, and accountability across the consortium.

OBJECTIVE OF THE POSITION

The VSLA and Financial Inclusion Coordinator will lead the design, coordination, and quality implementation of all VSLA and financial inclusion components of the EU-SUSI Project in Kebbi State and ensure effective formation and strengthening of VSLAs, support second-tier structures, promote financial literacy and digital financial services, and facilitate sustainable linkages between communities and formal financial institutions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Programme Strategy, Coordination, and Leadership

• Provide overall leadership for Oxfam’s VSLA and financial inclusion portfolio, ensuring alignment with Oxfam’s country strategy and donor expectations.
• Develop and periodically revise a national VSLA and Financial Inclusion Strategy, ensuring coherence with market systems, resilience, and gender programmes.
• Lead the roll-out of integrated VSLA models that include:
• Financial literacy
• Digital financial inclusion
• Gender justice and empowerment components
• Enterprise development
• Climate-resilient livelihoods
• Coordinate with other thematic leads (Gender, MEAL, Protection, Food Security, Private Sector Engagement) to ensure cross-sectoral integration.

Strengthening Partner Capacity and Operational Quality

• Develop annual state-level partner support plans, outlining supervision, training, quality assurance, and systems support.
• Facilitate regular training and refresher sessions on VSLA methodology, financial inclusion, safeguarding, and MEAL requirements.
• Strengthen partners’ internal monitoring, supervisory structures, and operational procedures for VSLA implementation.
• Provide direct coaching to partner leadership and field staff, ensuring adherence to Oxfam’s operational, financial, and safeguarding standards.
• Lead the institutional strengthening of emerging VSLA federations/second-tier structures, supporting their governance, administration, compliance, and sustainability.

Data Management, Monitoring, and Learning (SAVIX MIS and Beyond)

• Ensure full adoption and effective use of the SAVIX MIS across all implementing partners.
• Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual data quality checks and internal audits to ensure accuracy and reliability.
• Coordinate the development of VSLA dashboards, data visualization tools, and learning products.
• Use VSLA data to inform programme planning, targeting, performance analysis, and adaptive management.
• Facilitate partner learning events, joint field visits, and peer-to-peer exchanges to strengthen collective learning.
• Work closely with MEAL teams to incorporate qualitative and quantitative insights into programme adaptation.

Expanding Financial Inclusion and Commercial Linkages

• Lead research and feasibility assessments on potential financial inclusion interventions:
• Bank linkages and savings products
• Credit offerings tailored for VSLAs and federations
• Microinsurance
• Digital wallets/mobile money
• Fintech collaborations
• Develop a robust VSLA Linkage and Financial Inclusion Strategy identifying safe, inclusive, and scalable opportunities.
• Promote linkages between VSLAs and project enterprise incubators for business skill reinforcement.
• Facilitate negotiations and partnerships with banks, MFIs, cooperatives, government financial agencies, and fintech providers.
• Support VSLAs and federations to meet minimum requirements for linkage, including record-keeping, governance, safeguarding, and financial compliance.
• Promote responsible finance principles, ensuring that women and marginalized members are protected from predatory practices.

Programme Development, Resource Mobilization, and Reporting

• Support concepts note and proposal development for VSLA and financial inclusion initiatives.
• Provide high-quality technical inputs to donor reports, country strategy documents, and programme reviews.
• Document success stories, case studies, and evidence demonstrating programme impact.
• Represent Oxfam in sectoral forums, working groups, and consortiums related to financial inclusion, rural livelihoods, and women’s economic empowerment.

Government and Stakeholder Engagement

• Strengthen relationships with state ministries, cooperative development departments, microfinance regulatory institutions, and relevant agencies.
• Facilitate policy dialogue and advocacy on:
• Women’s financial inclusion
• Community-led financial systems
• Market access for rural groups
• Pro-poor financial sector development
• Support alignment of Oxfam’s interventions with national and state-level financial inclusion strategies.

Field Support and Operational Supervision

• Conduct frequent field visits (minimum 50%) to monitor group performance, partner quality, and community engagement.
• Identify risks, operational weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement, and develop mitigation or enhancement plans.
• Ensure field-level activities meet Oxfam’s standards in safeguarding, gender sensitivity, accountability, and community participation.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Education/Knowledge & Experience:

Education:

• Master’s degree on (Development Studies, MBA, Microfinance, Rural Development, economics, Finance, Development Studies, Business Administration, Social Sciences, Agriculture, or any related field.
• Professional Certifications in any of the listed – ICAN, ACCA, ANAN, etc.

Experience

• At least 5 years of proven experience implementing and managing VSLA programmes or other community-based financial inclusion initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and manage linkages between informal groups and formal financial institutions.
• Experience managing relationships with partner NGOs, government agencies, and financial service providers.
• Strong understanding of rural livelihoods, gender dynamics, market access, and community development.
• Experience using SAVIX MIS, digital data collection tools, and standard reporting platforms.
• Proven capacity-building and training facilitation experience.
• Experience working in northern Nigeria or similar contexts is an added advantage.

Technical Skills

• Deep understanding of VSLA methodologies, savings groups, microfinance, and informal financial systems.
• Knowledge of digital financial services (DFS), mobile money operations, fintech solutions, and bank linkage processes.
• Strong budget management, planning, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office and familiarity with financial and MEAL software tools.
• Strong analytical, reporting, and problem-solving skills.

Desirable:

• Advanced knowledge of digital financial services (DFS), agent banking, mobile money, and fintech solutions for rural communities.
• Experience in designing financial literacy curricula and livelihoods training modules.
• Good knowledge of Nigeria’s evolving tax laws, fiscal policies, and regulatory changes—particularly those affecting micro-enterprises, cooperatives, and informal savings groups.

Competency

• Influencing: To engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organization. To spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities, to have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.

• Self-Awareness: To develop a high degree of self-awareness around your own strengths and weaknesses and your impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.

• Humility: To put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team and play to the strengths of everyone. we are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.

WORKING AT OXFAM IN NIGERIA

• All our work is guided by our core values: Empowerment, Accountability, Inclusiveness, Courage, Solidarity and Equality.
• At Oxfam in Nigeria, we work according to the Feminist Principles - Oxfam Policy & Practice.
• Oxfam in Nigeria is based on the power of difference. That is why we aim to attract a diverse mix of talented people who share our standards, values and principles, and who are committed to prevent and eliminate any type of misconduct.
• We have an active policy against sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, any form of abuse of power or lack of integrity and financial misconduct. This subject will be covered in our application and selection process.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Do you believe that this is the job you are looking for? Then we would love to meet you! Please send your resume and cover letter.

• Only applications received before the closing date “December 12, 2025” and submitted via our application portal will be considered.

• Oxfam in Nigeria is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

• At the time of a contract offer, it is necessary for Oxfam in Nigeria to request valid references. Our candidates will be subject to appropriate screening checks, including criminal records and terrorism, financial checks or integrity screenings/references.

• This job opening is posted internally and externally, simultaneously. Internal candidates are given preference if they are sufficiently qualified or can be obtained in short term. We believe it’s important in our organization that our employees are offered maximum opportunities for growth in new themes and competencies. Priority for internal candidates supports this.

• Oxfam in Nigeria reserves the right, to its sole discretion, not to make agreements regarding this job opening, make an agreement in a lower level, or make an agreement with an amended job description.

• Only applicants shortlisted for the post will be contacted.