Partners implementing the Agricultural Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev 2.0) programme in Malawi, on April 11, 2025 met to come up with year 1 workplans for one of the components under the programme.

The Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) is the TAGDev 2.0 programme implementer in Malawi but under the Agrifood Systems and Entrepreneurship Consortium (ASEC) component of the programme, it is working with Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Mzuzu University (MZUNI) and University of Livingstonia (UNILIA).

Speaking at the workplan development meeting in Mulanje, TAGDev 2.0 programme coordinator, Dr Petros Chigwechokha, who is also Head of Biological Sciences Department at MUST, said the meeting was important as the ASEC nears rolling out.

“We have met before to develop the ASEC proposal but now we need to plan on activities for the first of the five years, especially now that the budget is in,” he said.

“The ASEC budget was signed in January but four months down the line, there is nothing on the ground yet the team at RUFORUM expect us to wind up the year by December. We only have eight months to carry out activities meant for 12 months.”

He advised the team that despite the need to move with speed, caution and alignment of activities with the budget will be critical in avoiding mistakes.

“We also need to document all expenditures for financial reporting so that we do not risk being sanctioned as that will dent the image of our institutions and the country,” said Dr Chigwechokha.

On his part, TAGDev 2.0 Entrepreneurship and Business Development Manager, Dr Bonet Kamwana, took the partners through an overview of the TAGDev 2.0 for them to appreciate how ASEC is aligned with the programme.

Dr Vincent Mwale and Dean of Agriculture and ASEC coordinator at LUANAR, hailed the interface for bringing all partners up-to-date with developments around the project.

“Seniors from our institutions were asking us for updates and we could not give them plausible explanations. However, with the discussion today, we are able to appreciate the progress made and where we can start from,” he said.

“Let us continue with the discussions, explore synergies among and within our institutions because much as there are specific partner institutions leading some aspects of ASEC, we are into this project as a team. We need to ensure that we succeed as a team.”

UNILIA ASEC coordinator and deputy vice chancellor, Professor Bernard Kamanga, said the meeting helped to streamline all partners into the project.

“For us we are really thankful for our inclusion in ASEC and we are committed to work hard for the project to be a success. We need such collaborations among our institutions,” he said.

TAGDev 2.0 programme aims to enhance agricultural education and training in Africa, with a focus on empowering youth and promoting sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture. 

The ASEC component, however, specifically focuses on improving value chains, promoting entrepreneurship, and fostering collaboration between universities, agricultural officers, and farmers. 

Key aspects of ASEC include value chain focus, entrepreneurship development, capacity building, and collaboration and partnerships.

Under value chain focus, ASEC in Malawi will emphasize the improvement of specific value chains, such as soya and maize, through training, technology transfer, and market linkages. 

On entrepreneurship development, it aims to equip students and farmers with the skills and knowledge to become successful entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector, creating jobs and wealth. 

Under community involvement, ASEC will actively involve agricultural officers and lead farmers in identifying community needs and implementing solutions, ensuring the programme's impact at the grassroots level. 

It will also work with universities and Technical, Entrepreneurial, Vocational and Education Training (TEVET) institutions to enhance their capacity to deliver high-quality agricultural education and training. 

And finally, under collaboration and partnerships, ASEC will foster collaboration between universities, research institutions, government agencies, and the private sector to create a supportive ecosystem for agricultural innovation and development.