The EAC has launched the USD 12.5M ENSURE Project to improve agricultural extension services, benefiting over 5 million people and creating 1 million jobs across East Africa.
Funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the ENSURE Project is designed to improve access to robust agricultural extension services and strengthen the capacity of EAC Partner States to provide responsive and adaptive extension services. The initiative aligns with Article 105 (2d) of the EAC Treaty,
The ENSURE Project will focus on three key areas of intervention: creating an enabling environment for harmonized regional extension and input policies, deploying a pluralistic extension approach involving public, private, and NGO actors, and establishing a regional capacity-building program to address transboundary pests and diseases, such as the fall armyworm and desert locusts. The project is expected to benefit over 5 million people, both directly and indirectly, with at least 50% of the beneficiaries being women. Additionally, it aims to create 1 million jobs across the region, half of which will be for women, through bundled extension packages integrated with existing pluralistic extension approaches. Speaking at the launch, EAC Deputy Secretary General for Infrastructure, Productive, Social, and Political Sectors, Hon. Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, emphasized the importance of the project in transforming the region’s agricultural sector. He noted that the ENSURE Project complements other EAC initiatives, such as the Agricultural Inputs System Development Programme and the EAC Regional Agriculture Investment Plan (RAIP). “The ENSURE Project is a beacon of hope, designed to equip our farmers with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to thrive sustainably,” said Hon. Ariik. He highlighted the need for value for money and ensuring that the project delivers meaningful improvements for farmers, who are the true stakeholders.
Read more at: Tanzania Invest
