Media Agency Consultancy Opportunity - Nigeria

CONTEXT OF THE MEDIA SOIL VALUES PARTNERSHIP

Funded by the Netherlands Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS), the Soil Values Programme addresses persistent soil fertility challenges in the Sahel region, namely Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, northern Nigeria, with strategic countries such as Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.

The Soil Values Program will ensure that sustainable soil fertility management is a pillar of agricultural systems in the Sudano-Sahelian savannah, improving soil fertility and the productive capacity of 2 million hectares of agricultural land in the Sahel, as well as the resilience and well-being of 1.5 million smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and northern Nigeria.

The Soil Values ​​Program operates through three strategic pathways. The agroecological pathway, which targets the practices of small-scale food producers within landscape elements. The inclusive market development pathway, which engages the private sector to provide financial incentives for soil fertility management. The enabling environment pathway, which aligns public sector institutions, policies, and governance structures to stimulate sustainable soil fertility management.

The Soil Values ​​Programme is being implemented over a 10-year period (2024-2033), led by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), in consortium with SNV and Wageningen University and Research (WUR), as well as knowledge partners such as AGRA, the Center for International Forestry and World Agroforestry Research (CIFOR-ICRAF), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), ISRIC and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

As part of its implementation, the Soil Values Program has developed a strategy and a communication plan requiring the support of the media, both traditional and digital, in order to promote its actions and results, especially to raise awareness among farming communities about agricultural land management. These media, with their wide audience, will play a key role in promoting and amplifying the impact of the Soil Values Program but especially in raising awareness about the challenges facing the agricultural sector.

The media selection process aims to create a network of relevant media partners through the signing of a partnership agreement, guaranteeing their availability to cover the Soil Values Program's activities as needed. This agreement will facilitate rapid media mobilization, ensure continuous and consistent visibility, and strengthen the dissemination of the program's actions and results. The selected media in the different countries will globally constitute the Soil Values Program's media network and will be the sole media responsible for ensuring the program's visibility.

OBJECTIVES OF THE SOIL VALUES MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

The main objective is to ensure wide dissemination of the activities, results of the Soil Values Programme and technologies related to sustainable soil management, among different target audiences, including agricultural producers, farming communities, public and political decision-makers, development partners in the agricultural sector, other agricultural stakeholders and the general public.

The media selected as part of the creation of the network will be responsible for covering and producing various quality and relevant media content aimed at:

• Increase the visibility of the program, actions and its results among targets,
• Inform and raise awareness among stakeholders about soil fertility and health
• Popularize sustainable soil technologies and practices to encourage their adoption by farming communities,
• Engage the public and partners by generating interest and promoting interaction.

ACTIVITIES COVERED BY THE MEDIA PARTNERSHIP

Media coverage should cover all program activities at the country level, highlighting its objectives, beneficiaries, and impact. It will provide media outlets selected as part of this network with opportunities to produce content.

1. Production of broadcasts and dissemination of written, audio and video content, depending on the type of media, on the activities, results of the program as well as the technologies and good practices promoted.
2. Media reports and coverage of events:
   • Workshops and training for beneficiaries;
   • Conferences, discussion panels and round tables;
   • Field visits to document interventions;
   • Testimonies and interviews with actors;
   • Special events and celebrations.

Traditional media will be able to use their channels for the dissemination of different productions or digital media must disseminate the productions on all their platforms.

TERMS OF COLLABORATION

The selected media outlets will work closely with the program team to ensure effective and consistent coverage. The following terms will govern this collaboration:

• The content produced must be consistent with the program's key values and messages ;
• Before publication or broadcast, each content must be validated by the program team to guarantee its relevance and quality;
• The designation of a focal point, as a direct contact with the Soil Values Programme;
• Important: be willing to provide data on productions (audiences) if needed or at the end of a year's service;
• Be willing to distribute a communication product from the Soil Values Program.

The selected media outlets undertake to produce and deliver media content within the jointly agreed deadlines; to respect quality standards in terms of writing, image and sound; to work in accordance with ethical principles; and to provide verifiable data on broadcasting.

PERIOD OF EXECUTION OF THE INTERVENTION

The collaboration is planned for a period of 9 months, renewable depending on the quality of the services and feedback from the program management. In principle, this collaboration will extend for the entire duration of the program, i.e. 10 years. An evaluation will be carried out before each renewal, in order to ensure the effectiveness and continuous improvement of media coverage.

IMPLEMENTATION METHODOLOGY

This partnership will involve 05 media are planned: 2 radios (one national and one local), a written press organ, a television and an online media.

The implementation of the activities will be based on a standard specification that each body will adapt to its program schedule:

MEDIA SELECTION CRITERIA

To ensure effective and quality media coverage, interested media must meet the following criteria:

• Be a legally registered media outlet, recognized and authorized by the national council in charge of media supervision in the country and have national coverage and rural area;
• Have proven experience in media coverage and production of programs on the agricultural sector;
• Have a team of qualified professionals (journalists, photographers, videographers, editors, etc.);
• Have the equipment necessary for the production of high-quality content (professional cameras, recording studios, etc.);
• Be able to intervene quickly in the field to cover live activities, if necessary;
• Be able to justify and evaluate the audience;
• Be able to produce content in the required languages (e.g. French, local languages, English depending on the needs of the program).
• Have a significant audience or a relevant broadcast network to reach the program's target audience (often in rural areas).

Types of media: Print media, radio, television, online press or media networks or broadcasting networks.

PERFORMANCE MONITORING AND EVALUATION

1. A tracking system will be implemented to measure the effectiveness of the production and distribution of media products. Media outlets will be required to submit reports detailing productions and audiences as deliverables. Meetings with the program team may be held to assess progress and adjust the strategy as needed.
2. The evaluation of media products will be based on several key indicators to measure the audience, engagement and impact of content broadcast through traditional and digital media.
   • Number of readers of articles published on websites;
   • Number of views of published videos, regardless of the broadcast media (TV, online platforms, social media);
   • Estimated audience for radio and television broadcasts, based on media data.

Social media post performance, including:

• Audience engagement (likes, shares, comments, reactions)
• Organic and sponsored reach of posts.
• Number of clicks and interactions generated by the content.

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

Interested agencies or media companies must submit an application including the following elements:

• Explanatory note on the understanding of the terms of reference.
• Planned methodological approach.
• Presentation of the media agency or company, experience and references.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SOIL VALUES PROGRAM

• Program website: https://ifdc.org/projects/soil-values/ 
• Program YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoilValuesProgram

CONTACTS FOR MORE INFORMATION

Procurement (Principal)

[ Soil Values National teams mails]

Soil Values Program Email: soilvalues@ifdc.org (CC)