Egerton University and University of Eldoret are among the 15 African Universities implementing Transforming African Agricultural Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev 2.0) program for the period between 2023-2033. This transformative initiative is designed to equip and empower Africa’s young women and men and their institutions to foster inclusive, equitable, and resilient socio-economic development within their communities. The TAGDev 2.0 National Coordinating Committee comprising of members drawn from universities, TVETs, Government and private sector, was constituted to support implementation of TAGDev 2.0 program in Kenya.
The 2nd NCC meeting was held on 13th and 14th November 2025 at Masada Hotel, Naivasha to strategize on strengthening delivery of the program at Egerton University and the University of Eldoret. The meeting was officially opened by Prof. Bernard Aduda, Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge Academics, Research and Extension, on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Egerton University. This first physical meeting was aimed at providing members with an opportunity to interact with each other, gain a clear understanding of the program’s goal, review their specific roles and deliverables, and develop a plan of activities.
During the opening remarks, Prof. Benard Aduda reaffirmed the university commitment to supporting implementation of TAGDev 2.0 through timely and responsible execution of its roles. The Chair of NCC, Ms. Jacinta Ngwiri from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MOALF) appreciated the TAGDev 2.0 leadership and consideration to constitute the committee noting that membership was well thought through and that utilizing the wealth of experiences that each member brings onboard, committee is committed to providing strategic oversight and coordination, ensuring that program interventions remain aligned with national priorities and institutional objectives while fostering collaboration and synergy among partner institutions, and promoting knowledge sharing, documenting best practices, and advocating for policy changes. This led to adoption of a “Delivering Together” model, emphasizing the importance of inclusive participation and shared responsibility in achieving TAGDev 2.0’s deliverables. The NCC agreed to be guided by the program’s long-term impact ambitions, particularly: Supporting achievement of individual and institutional deliverables; Contributing to sustainable, long-term solutions for youth employment in the agri-food system; Strengthening policy contributions at institutional, county, and national levels; Enhancing synergy across programs implemented by member institutions. The NCC reaffirmed its role as a platform for sharing lessons, ensuring accountability, and generating actionable recommendations to address emerging challenges.
The program Coordinators, Egerton University (Prof. Nancy W. Mungai) and University of Eldoret (Prof. Julius Ochuodho) took members through an in-depth understanding of the transformative agenda that each institution is focusing on in delivery of TAGDev 2.0. The two universities are collaborating with 6 other universities and 9 TVET institutions in Kenya in delivery of the Agri-food Systems and Entrepreneurship Consortium projects in Kenya. The ASEC projects aim at expanding work opportunity in Kenya to at least 46,250 young women and men, skill 9,175 out of school youth, Validate and scale at least 15 Climate smart technologies, innovations and management practices, reach at least 149,000 smallholder farmers, strengthen at least 11 farmer cooperatives, grow at least 1.45 million trees. The main value chains include Dairy, Roots and Tubers Value chains.
To achieve these objectives, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and Fisheries represented by Ms. Jacinta Ngwiri pledged support in facilitating access to its farmer database. Universities were tasked with specifying the exact data required to enhance farmer engagement processes. Kenya Private sector Alliance (KEPSA) noted that the TAGDev 2.0 program is timely in addressing the pressing needs in Kenya and welcomed collaborations in supporting entrepreneurship and linkages to financial support for young innovators. The committee emphasized the need for structured support for youth entrepreneurs, noting that nurturing passion-driven entrepreneurship is key in reducing attrition. The committee also noted gaps in Kenya’s agricultural planning system and committed to preparing a policy brief focusing on reorganizing agricultural planning to support sustainable production. The NCC meeting reaffirmed the collective commitment of universities, government bodies, private sector actors, and development partners to ensure the successful rollout of TAGDev 2.0 at Egerton University and the University of Eldoret. The focus on collaboration, accountability, innovation, and youth empowerment positions the program to significantly contribute to a more vibrant and inclusive agri-food system in Kenya.
During the closing session, representatives from universities, government, and TVET institutions expressed appreciation for the two-day engagement and affirmed their commitment to collaboratively delivering the TAGDev 2.0 program. Dr. M. Orinda (Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology) highlighted that the meeting was timely given the urgent need to transform the agrifood system. She emphasized that the program is transformative—promoting mindset change, influencing policy at institutional and national levels, enhancing inclusivity and equity, and supporting technology integration in agriculture. She noted that the program’s strength lies in its community-oriented approach and reaffirmed the commitment to “deliver together.” Ms. Elizabeth Shungula (National Treasury) appreciated the inclusive composition of the NCC and the value of the in-person meeting. She commended the chair’s leadership, encouraged universities to use the platform to address emerging issues, and affirmed the National Treasury’s commitment to fully support the program.
Ms. Jacinta Ngwiri, newly confirmed as NCC Chair, expressed gratitude for the confidence placed in her. She welcomed the openness and knowledge-sharing demonstrated during the meeting and reaffirmed that the program is well designed to deliver meaningful societal transformation. She urged members to perform their roles diligently, view failures as learning opportunities rather than shortcomings, and maintain collaborative effort. She recommended future meetings adopt similar in-depth engagement to leverage the diverse expertise within the committee. Ms. Pamela Nasimiyu (Principal, Baraka Agricultural College) thanked universities for including TVETs in the forum and noted that TAGDev comes at a critical time for addressing societal challenges. She emphasized keeping the end user in mind, advancing wealth creation, and strengthening collaboration across institutions. She highlighted the TVET sector’s role in youth skilling, dual training, and field attachments, while acknowledging challenges such as limited equipment for experiential learning. She encouraged resource mobilization, joint research, technology development, and exchange programs to enhance infrastructure and training quality. The workshop was officially closed with a shared commitment to support implementation of TAGDev 2.0 and to build on the insights generated during the meeting