Green Housing Senior Associate Consultant
Green Housing Senior Associate Consultant
To undertake detailed evaluation and structuring of potential credit enhancement opportunities in the green housing space, while also supporting origination, documentation, capital market and post-transaction monitoring activities. This role requires a blend of financial acumen, analytical skills, industry knowledge, and project management capabilities.
Background
Nigeria currently has an estimated population of 220 million, with a 3.5% annual growth rate. United Nations estimates that by 2050, Nigeria’s population will reach 400 million while 189 million urban dwellers will be added to the nation, translating into an annual housing requirement, over the coming decades, of at least 900,000 units to keep up with growing housing demand and urban migration. Based on current forecast construction, Nigeria’s overall accumulated housing deficit is about 28 million units, as of 2023. The estimated cost to bridge the housing gap is about NGN21 trillion. Therefore, appropriately structured financing mechanisms are therefore required to make home financing more affordable and accessible to homebuyers, at a greater scale, providing access to housing but also solving the challenge of offtake for property developers.
Despite the housing deficit which creates a significant opportunity for developer financing in Nigeria, the market is constrained by offtake risk inherent in housing infrastructure projects occasioned by an absence of an effective mortgage solution that provides prospective homebuyers access to affordable home loan products. This situation has continued to weaken developers’ ability to access sustainable funding and scale their construction activities.
As part of its market development initiatives, InfraCredit developed its Green Housing Funding Programme (the “Programme”) working alongside private sector intermediaries, market stakeholders, and development partners. The Programme seeks to address the funding constraints faced by developers resulting from the lack of an institutional mechanism to provide homebuyers with access to affordable funding required to make both home financing and the final sale predictable and scalable. The Programme is being implemented in collaboration with development including KFW Development Bank (KFW) and Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) through technical assistance grant support.
Under the Green Housing Funding Programme, InfraCredit has established a strategy for developing climate-smart and resilient infrastructure, which will include developing resource-efficient and low-carbon housing infrastructure. InfraCredit is currently implementing the supply-side component of the Programme by prequalifying eligible developers that will benefit from its guarantees to access local currency funding from the debt capital markets to finance the construction of eligible green- edge-certifiable housing projects. Under the Programme, InfraCredit is developing an initial pipeline of green housing developers that will benefit from technical assistance support and transaction structuring towards a local currency bond issuance while incorporating E&S best practices and where applicable, EDGE Certification.
One of the key constraints that the Programme seeks to address is the fragmentation of housing demand and supply-side activities by ensuring that the demand and supply- side intervention happen concurrently and in a complementary manner. On the supply side, eligible developers will access sustainable construction funding from the debt capital markets on the back of InfraCredit’s guarantees thereby creating a strong pipeline of completed housing projects. On the demand side, the collaboration with the Housing Solutions Fund will identify, evaluate and prequalify prospective homebuyers to benefit from its affordable home loans in partnership with participating lending institutions towards the purchase of homes. This, therefore, creates an integrated and coordinated structure for addressing the housing market problem.
InfraCredit has originated a cumulative pipeline of 21 EDGE-certifiable housing infrastructure projects within the affordable and mid-market sub-categories amounting to NGN122 billion, to develop c.4,000 energy efficient homes over the next 36 to 60 months horizon, housing c. 20,000 people and businesses.
To support its deal execution capacity to bring these projects to financial close within the key performance milestones agreed with its co-funding and development partners, InfraCredit supported by technical assistance from KFW is seeking to contract specialised consultants to work alongside the Green Housing deal team to execute NGN50 – NGN100 billion annually in green housing projects to enhance access for low-mid income residential and commercial buildings, within environmentally sustainable communities
Job Responsibilities
The Candidate will be providing support for the origination, structuring and execution housing infrastructure projects. This role requires a blend of financial acumen, analytical skills, industry knowledge, and project management capabilities. The critical responsibilities include:
- Lead the preparation of credit papers and presentations, terms sheets, information memorandum and other relevant documentation to support credit risk decision-making process.
- Conduct thorough financial analysis, credit, and risk assessment, to evaluate the feasibility and attractiveness of potential investment opportunities.
- Build and review financial models for the housing and real estate sector to determine the long-term credit quality of the project.
- Lead project finance structuring of transactions in the green housing sector with clear understanding of risk mitigation and structuring elements.
- Highlight any key risks or opportunities for improvements on the project based on site visits and documentation review and due diligence.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop the scope of work for due diligence workstreams and review due diligence reports on respective green housing projects comprising legal, technical, commercial, and environmental aspects.
- Provide end-to-end transaction execution support including negotiating deal terms, coordinating legal documentation, and liaising with external advisors and stakeholders to ensure timely deal closure.
- Engage in market research, stay informed about industry trends, regulatory developments, and market dynamics in the green housing sector to identify emerging opportunities and risks.
- Lead the origination and manage the growing pipeline of green housing infrastructure transactions as well as reviewing market needs while recommending improvements in transaction structuring.
- Co-ordinate the preparation of regular reports and updates for internal stakeholders, investors, and regulatory bodies, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and reporting standards.
- Support new business pitches and product design with sound situation-based offerings.
- Contribute to process improvements, knowledge sharing, within the green housing team to scale deal flow, enhance deal execution efficiency and effectiveness.
- Any other responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time during the engagement period.
Qualification Requirement
Candidates for the role should possess the following qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration, economics, finance, engineering, or a related field. Master’s degree or relevant professional qualification is an added advantage.
- Minimum of six to eight years of credit, debt capital market, corporate finance, project finance, private equity, and mortgage or real estate.
- Strong analytical skills and structuring know-how, good understanding of guarantee products, capital markets and financial instruments.
- Sound financial modelling skills and proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office tools as well as other financial analysis tools.
- Proven analytical skills and systematic problem-solving skills, while paying attention to detail and a quantitative mindset.
- Effective communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex concepts in a clear and concise manner.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and manage multiple tasks under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Sound understanding of real estate and housing industry, familiar with guidelines and regulations, processes and procedures as well as the project development processes will be an added advantage.
- Demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability, environmental stewardship, and social impact objectives.
- Good grasp of the critical issues and constraints faced by key actors in the housing sector in Nigeria.
- Acute attention to detail and a dedication to providing high-quality work outcomes.