Uganda Martyrs among the 12 universities selected to drive Africa’s agricultural transformation
Windhoek, Namibia
By Proscovia Nabatte
Head of Public Relations and Marketing Department
Uganda Martyrs University is among 12 prestigious African universities selected to implement the Transforming African Agricultural Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev) 2.0 program, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming agricultural education across the African continent.
The program was officially launched at the 2nd RUFORUM Triennial Conference on 12th August 2024 in Windhoek, Namibia with thousands of participants spanning the globe including Vice Chancellors, Deans and Principles, University registrars, policy-makers, researchers, scientists and student and technical experts all focused on agricultural transformation, innovation, and educational and technological advancements.
The TAGDev 2.0 program is a collaborative effort by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), Mastercard Foundation and Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA). The decade-long venture aims at empowering young Africans; with critical focus on marginalized groups, particularly women, equipping them with essential skills and knowledge to drive inclusive socio-economic growth across Africa.
“TAGDev 2.0 represents a bold commitment to transforming the lives of Africa’s most vulnerable young people through the power of education,” said Tina Muparadzi, Executive Director of Education and Transitions at Mastercard Foundation. “This program is a catalyst for sustainable agricultural development.”
In Uganda, Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) is one of the universities that were selected to implement TAGDev 2.0, the university will run the program along with its three partner institutions including Makerere University, Busitema University, and Uganda Christian University. Other institutions involved include Gulu University, Egerton University and University of Eldoret in Kenya, University of Cape Coast (Ghana), National University of Agriculture (Benin), University of Bamenda (Cameroon), University of Free State (South Africa), University of Port Harcourt (Nigeria), Malawi University of Science and Technology (Malawi), University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (Morocco), and Africa University (Zimbabwe).
Prof. Patrick Edwin Kyamanywa, the Vice Chancellor of Uganda Martyrs University, commended TAGDev’s premeditated emphasis on equipping young Africans to spearhead socio-economic development. He highlighted that this focus seamlessly aligns with one of the University’s strategic directions of producing graduates who are change agents and leaders in their communities.
“The emphasis on agricultural innovation mirrors our university’s strategic goal of enhancing research and development, especially in areas critical to national progress such as food security, climate change, and sustainable livelihoods,” he said..
Addressing Key Barriers in Agricultural Education
TAGDev 2.0 aims to address several critical barriers in the agricultural education ecosystem, including outdated educational models that inadequately prepare young people for leadership roles in the sector, limited entrepreneurship education, and a lack of climate-adaptive technologies. It also focuses on enhancing agricultural extension services to help smallholder farmers’ transition from subsistence farming to agribusiness.
According to Prof. Anthony Egeru, the Programme Manager, Training and Community Development- RUFORUM, the program’s impact is already evident. He noted that since its inception in 2016, TAGDev 1.0 has revised over 400 courses across 25 academic programs to include entrepreneurship, with a visible impact to more than 350,000 farmers. Building on this success therefore, TAGDev 2.0 will scale up these efforts by updating 1,600 courses across 80 programs, ultimately impacting 1.2 million people, including 820,000 young women, 300,000 refugees and displaced persons, and 120,000 people with disabilities.
The RUFORUM Executive Secretary, Professor Patrick Okori, underscored the program’s strategic importance when he said, “TAGDev 2.0 aims to reposition universities and TVETs as key drivers of Africa’s agricultural transformation. It represents RUFORUM’s commitment to advancing the development contribution of universities by taking bold actions with young people at the center of the change process.”
Looking to the Future
As Africa looks toward a future of sustainable agricultural growth, TAGDev 2.0 places universities like Uganda Martyrs University at the forefront of this transformation. It represents a visionary partnership between Mastercard Foundation, RUFORUM, and GCHERA, with a clear focus on empowering and African youth and ensuring sustainable agricultural growth.
