Online Reporter
Obey Musiwa in MUTARE
AFRICA University (AU) has officially launched the Transforming Africa’s Agricultural Higher Education Institutions for Economic Growth & Development (TAGDev 2.0), a collaboration between the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), Mastercard Foundation and the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences.
AU is one of only 12 universities across Africa implementing the 10-year programme, whose main objective is to strengthen universities and technical vocational education training institutions to better serve communities by skilling and empowering Africa’s young people and their institutions to drive inclusive, equitable and climate-resilient transformation of agriculture and agri-food systems.
Speaking during the launch, Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Advocate Misheck Mugadza said the TAGDev 2.0 project exemplifies the spirit of partnership and progress that President Mnangagwa strives to foster for the nation.
“The fact that this project brings together various institutions and agencies from across the country ties well with our Government’s approach, which seeks to leave no one and no place behind.
“We are particularly excited about the project’s emphasis on inclusivity with a target of reaching 70 percent young women, 25 percent refugees and 50 percent persons living with disability.”
AU Vice Chancellor, Professor Peter Mageto said that holistic and transformational leaders of the continent will be born out of TAGDev 2.0.
“We are hopeful that with the support of the Government, which we continue to receive wholeheartedly, and the various institutions that we are going to partner with, our presence in various communities, starting with Manicaland, will be a key highlight of this transformative programme,” he said.
The programme, which is targeting eight districts in Manicaland, Masvingo and Mashonaland East provinces, aims to impact 16 000 young women and men, and 20 000 smallholder communal farmers.
