Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Affiliations
Personal Information
References
Research And Publication
Other Relevant Trainings
Timeline
Generic

Yusuf Dramani

Abuja

Summary

Dynamic leader with extensive experience at the International Fertilizer Development Center, excelling in agricultural project management and stakeholder engagement. Successfully enhanced smallholder farmer profitability through innovative capacity-building initiatives, achieving over 70% adoption of best practices. Proven expertise in resource mobilization and developing inclusive agri-food systems to drive sustainable food security.

Overview

20
20
years of professional experience

Work History

Country Director, Nigeria

International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
Abuja
01.2022 - Current
  • Provided strategic leadership in defining and achieving IFDC's strategic plans in Nigeria, whilst acting as the public face of IFDC and enhancing relationships with government, private sector, and other stakeholders
  • Managed IFDC’s community seeds multiplication approach to improve last mile farmers’ access to quality seeds
  • Managed the strategic delivery of IFDC vision 2020-2030 in-country to contribute to the progress and sustenance of Nigeria’s inclusive food systems transformation through increased and resilient productivity, faster income growth and more secure access to affordable and nutritious foods
  • Key strategic focus include: Improving capacity of local actors to innovate and enhance resilience
  • Strengthened agri-food SME’s sector that supports SHF systems, and operates within functional markets for agricultural goods and services
  • Enhanced state capability to design evidence-based policies and strategies; program execution and monitoring
  • Created an enabling and inclusive environment that favours job creation targeting mostly youth, women and vulnerable groups
  • Providing stewardship and leadership for IFDC’s projects and programs in Nigeria e.g
  • HortiNigeria, 2SCALE, AfricaFertilizer, IFAD VCDP, and EnGRAIS programs by working closely with Chief of Parties, Project Directors and Project Leaders
  • Managed government and donor relationship resulting in additional funding
  • Served as the proposal coordinator for a 9.7 million Euros HortiNigeria program
  • Monitored project overall expenditure and private sector contribution against budgets and ensured financial compliance to both donor requirements and IFDC’s procedures
  • Providing advisory for IFDC top management regarding IFDC Nigeria strategies
  • Supervised timely preparation and presentation of high-quality work plans, progress, and financial reports
  • Monitored project indicators in accordance with the Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, evaluated program results and took necessary corrective actions whenever needed
  • Supported the communications strategy of all project/programs
  • Reviewed all in-country Public Relations materials and ensured compliance to IFDC’s communication protocols, procedures, and processes

Volunteer

Better Life Organization
Kadjebi
06.2028 - 08.2028
  • Provided voluntary service in promoting youth and adult literacy

New Business Development Officer for North & West Africa Region

International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
Accra
01.2021 - 01.2022
  • Contributed to expanding IFDC’s presence in Benin, Nigeria, Guinea, etc
  • E.g
  • Contributed to winning ACMA-3 funding opportunity to a tune of 20 million Euros for IFDC Benin, 2.5 million USD groundnut value chain project for IFDC Burkina Faso, and 2 million USD SAPEP project for IFDC Guinea
  • Built relationships with key donor and government stakeholders including those in the private sector, civil society organizations and universities leading strong partnerships
  • Developed IFDC capability statements, annual strategy and work plan for donor engagements and new business development
  • Represented IFDC at relevant high-level government meeting involving ministries of Agriculture and donor conferences in Nigeria and Ghana
  • Assisted in conducting mid-term review and stakeholders meeting for projects and programs
  • Successfully managed several onboarding activities for new project staff in Nigeria and Ghana

Consultant for North & West Africa Region

International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
Accra
02.2020 - 12.2020
  • Promoted inclusive, responsible, and sustainable business models that helped smallholder farmers to improve their productivity, profitability, food security and household nutrition security
  • Conducted several studies and analyses of agro-inputs value chains business linkages (e.g
  • Seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides) in Nigeria and Ghana
  • Conducted detailed crop production cost studies in Ghana and Nigeria, and developed avenues for cost reduction, productivity enhancement, and farmer profit optimization models
  • Played key role in business intelligence gathering, stakeholder analysis, and concept notes & proposal writing
  • Conducted due diligence on new business opportunities through go/no go analysis

Senior Project Coordinator, Consultant for Ghana Projects

Livelihoods Venture
Paris
04.2019 - 02.2020
  • Company Overview: Paris, France
  • Designed top quality multistakeholder agriculture value chain development projects in the grains, shea, and cocoa value chains using Commodity System Assessment Methodology (CSAM) approach, leading to improved and sustainable supply of agri raw material ecosystem for multinational food processing companies
  • Developed crop calendar and agronomic protocols for nontraditional cash crops (e.g
  • Moringa, Annatto seeds, etc.) and helping poor smallholder farmers to diversify and increase their income sources
  • Promoted the adoption of climate smart and sustainable farming practices by the smallholder farmers to improve the resilience of their local economy
  • Created and managed public-private partnerships strategy leading to high commitments of project donors, the relevant government agencies, and private sector players
  • Paris, France

Agricultural Project Manager for Ghana & Nigeria

Nestlé Central & West Africa Ltd
Accra
05.2017 - 04.2019
  • Company Overview: Accra, Ghana
  • Built a strong and reliable Nestlé’s upstream supply and out-grower base in Ghana and Nigeria leading to uninterrupted supply of high-quality raw materials (soybeans, maize grains, millets, rice and starch) to Nestlé factories in Agbara (Lagos, Nigeria) and Tema (Accra, Ghana)
  • Developed and sustainably managed a transparent and traceable upstream agri raw material supply chain ecosystem for Nestlé Nigeria and Nestlé Ghana leading to sustained supply of quality raw materials
  • Trained and capacitated 40,000+ smallholder out-growers of soybeans, maize, cassava, millets, rice, oil palm in Ghana and Nigeria, that resulted in over 70% adoption of good agricultural (agronomic) and postharvest management practices and increased farmers average profit by 45%
  • Conducted upstream contaminants mitigation studies for soybeans, maize and rice value chains using the GSTD approach/methodology, leading to the root causes of high-level heavy metals and mycotoxins (e.g
  • Aflatoxins, fumonisins, ochratoxins, and Arsenic) contaminations in Nigeria and Ghana
  • Capacitated Nestlé’s warehouse managers and transporters on good warehouse management and haulages practices to prevent cross contamination of the raw materials at the upstream
  • Reduced testing cost: as a result of the improved and reliable upstream raw materials supply chain system developed, the usual number of quality testing was reduced leading to a reduction in testing cost
  • Effectively managed relationships with key project / program partners / stakeholders and putting in place efficient monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) plan; ensuring that the projects deliver results to meet planned requirements/specifications
  • Developed user friendly and very effective agronomic and postharvest quality management training manuals and standards operating procedures (SOPs) for smallholder farmer trainers and warehouse managers
  • Planned and implemented gender and youth inclusive agriculture projects in Nigeria, resulting in high involvement/inclusion of women and youth in Makarfi, Soba, and adjoining communities in collaboration with IFDC, CNFA, Manoma Women Association, and Value Seeds Company
  • Successfully developed and implemented Nestlé’s safe use agrochemicals protocol in Ghana and Nigeria value chains to promote environmental sustainability, food security and safety
  • Accra, Ghana

Regional Coordinator, C: AVA II Project

CSIR-Food Research Institute (Ghana) & FUNAAB (Nigeria)
05.2015 - 04.2017
  • Company Overview: Funded by The Gates Foundation
  • Coordinated cassava productivity, processing, and marketing improvement project activities worth US$ 2.2 million across four regions in Ghana, benefiting over 22,000 smallholder cassava value chain actors comprising farmers, processors, and marketers: generating private sector investment worth US$ 4 million in 2 years
  • Designed and implemented effective and efficient performance monitoring plan (PMP); thereby, helping track performance across the project
  • Activities implemented helped increased cassava productivity from 10 MT/ha to 30 MT/ha, reduced cassava postharvest losses from 40% to less than 10% and increased profitability from 25% to 60%
  • Organized capacity development for cassava processors in Ghana on good manufacturing practices (GMPs) of processing cassava tubers into high-quality cassava flour (HQCF), starch and industrial grade cassava flour (IGCF) as secondary industrial raw materials for foods and adhesive companies
  • Carried out a comprehensive cassava value chain study using Commodity Systems Assessment Methodology (CSAM, leading to identification and management of cassava value challenges in Ghana
  • Coordinated the preparation and submission of quarterly and yearly performance reports for submission to relevant stakeholder
  • Funded by The Gates Foundation

District Officer, SPRING Project

John Snow (JSI), Inc.
Central Gonja
03.2015 - 05.2015
  • Company Overview: Funded by USAID
  • Led the implementation of the US$300, 000 USAID - SPRING Project in Central Gonja District in Ghana to reduce anemia and stunting among children under the age of two (2) years
  • Promoted good infant and maternal health behaviors and helping rural households to adopt good farming and postharvest practices to prevent environmental enteropathy and food contamination
  • Organized workshops to improve the skills of midwives, traditional birth attendants (TBAs), and community health assistants on good maternal and neonatal health promotion
  • Funded by USAID

Agricultural Development Officer

Better Life Organization (BELO)
Kadjebi
08.2010 - 03.2015
  • Company Overview: A Ghanaian NGO implementing agriculture development and rural livelihoods improvement programs and projects with a geographical focus in Oti Region
  • Managed all planning, budgeting, implementation, and communications of all the agricultural projects focusing on sustainable livelihood development of SHFs
  • Introduced farmers to new cropping technologies that led to an increase in yield by more than 100% and reduced postharvest losses from 50% to less than 10%
  • Provided advisory services to smallholder farmers and agro food processors in relation to performance issues and establish guidance mechanisms to enhance their financial performance
  • A Ghanaian NGO implementing agriculture development and rural livelihoods improvement programs and projects with a geographical focus in Oti Region

Field Officer

Better Life Organization
Jasikan
08.2008 - 08.2010
  • Trained farmers on good nursery activities and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), resulting in high crop survival, performance, yield and high return on investment
  • Conducted surveys and identified farmers’ constraints and liaised with appropriate authorities resulting in ameliorating the farmers constrains e.g
  • Tractor ploughing services, fertilizer subsidy programs, etc
  • Introduced pro-poor agriculture technologies to farmers and their households leading to improved productivity, increased income, and sustainable livelihoods
  • Managed agricultural demonstration plots that facilitated quick transfer of agricultural innovations and technologies in a more cost-benefit manner
  • Introduced to farmers improved packinghouse activities and small-scale post-harvest technologies

Education

PhD - Crop Science

University of Ghana
Accra, Ghana
12.2025

MBA -

Rome Business School
Nigeria
04.2025

Post-Graduate Certificate - Management

University of Suffolk, UK
UK
04.2024

MSc - Project Management

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology
Ghana
12.2017

MPhil - Crop Science

University of Ghana
Accra, Ghana
07.2013

Certificate - ICT

University of Ghana Computing Systems
Accra, Ghana
04.2013

PG Diploma - Food & Nutrition Security

Wageningen University
The Netherlands
07.2009

B.Ed. - Agriculture

University of Education
Mampong, Ghana
07.2008

Skills

  • Institutional management and administration
  • Agricultural projects management
  • Farmer relationships management
  • New business opportunity development
  • Resource mobilization
  • Donor management
  • Competitive funding proposal management
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Smallholder farmer mobilization
  • Capacity building
  • Agronomy
  • Climate smart agriculture
  • Postharvest technology
  • Food & nutrition security
  • Agricultural extension services management
  • Regenerative agriculture
  • Inclusive agri food systems
  • Consultancy management
  • Cost of crop production studies
  • Farmer profitability enhancement
  • Agro-climate knowledge
  • Soil fertility management
  • Disease control
  • Pest control management

Affiliations

  • Certified Member of Project Management Institute (PMI)
  • A member of International Society of Tropical Root Crops – Africa Branch

Personal Information

Nationality: Ghanaian but currently working in Nigeria

References

All references would be made available upon request

Research And Publication

  • Edible sheabutter and palm kernel cream coatings extend the postharvest shelf life of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata, Poir), Dramani, Y., Johnson, P-N.T., Essilfie, G., Sugri, I., African Journal of Food Science and Technology, 8, 2, 019-024, 2017, https://www.interesjournals.org/articles/edible-sheabutter-and-palm-kernel-cream-coatingsextend-the-postharvest-shelf-life-of-white-yamdioscorea-rotundata-poir.pdf
  • An Examination of Failed Government Implemented Rural Agricultural Development Projects in Ghana: A Case Study of Two Selected Project Sites in the Eastern Region, Dramani, Y., Not yet published
  • Impact of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) on the Fertilizer Value Chain and Market Systems in Nigeria, Dramani, Y., Halliru, M., Hyacinth, E., Kwaw, A., Not yet published

Other Relevant Trainings

  • Cyber Security Training by EdApp, 07/30/2024
  • BSAFE Certificate on Security, 02/01/2022
  • Certificate in Communication Management Skills in the Workplace, 11/2020
  • Local Economic Development: Towards Agribusiness Cluster Development, 2016
  • Certificate in Global Postharvest e-Learning Program, 2016
  • Effective Problem-Solving and Decision-Making (a Certificate), 2015
  • Ethics, 04/2015

Timeline

Volunteer

Better Life Organization
06.2028 - 08.2028

Country Director, Nigeria

International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
01.2022 - Current

New Business Development Officer for North & West Africa Region

International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
01.2021 - 01.2022

Consultant for North & West Africa Region

International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)
02.2020 - 12.2020

Senior Project Coordinator, Consultant for Ghana Projects

Livelihoods Venture
04.2019 - 02.2020

Agricultural Project Manager for Ghana & Nigeria

Nestlé Central & West Africa Ltd
05.2017 - 04.2019

Regional Coordinator, C: AVA II Project

CSIR-Food Research Institute (Ghana) & FUNAAB (Nigeria)
05.2015 - 04.2017

District Officer, SPRING Project

John Snow (JSI), Inc.
03.2015 - 05.2015

Agricultural Development Officer

Better Life Organization (BELO)
08.2010 - 03.2015

Field Officer

Better Life Organization
08.2008 - 08.2010

PhD - Crop Science

University of Ghana

MBA -

Rome Business School

Post-Graduate Certificate - Management

University of Suffolk, UK

MSc - Project Management

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology

MPhil - Crop Science

University of Ghana

Certificate - ICT

University of Ghana Computing Systems

PG Diploma - Food & Nutrition Security

Wageningen University

B.Ed. - Agriculture

University of Education

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