Ministry of Agriculture, Tanzania, and the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI) launch the Africa Transformation Office
Key points
- The Minister of Agriculture, Honourable Hussein Mohamed Bashe, together with Abdallah Ulega, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, and the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI), launched the Agriculture Transformation Office (ATO), Tanzania.
- The ATO will support the implementation and monitoring of the Agriculture Masterplan.
- Guests at the launch included Hon. Mizengo Pinda, Former Prime Minister, Tanzania and Chairperson, Presidential Food and Agriculture Delivery Council, among other dignitaries.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 6 September 2023 – On Tuesday 5th September 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture together with the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries and the African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI) launched the Agriculture Transformation Office (ATO), Tanzania. The ATO will support the implementation and monitoring of the Agriculture Masterplan. The event which took place on the sidelines of the AGRF Summit in Dar es Salaam, was attended by dignitaries including Hon. Mizengo Pinda, Former Prime Minister, Tanzania; Hon. Mohamed Bashe Minister of Agriculture, Tanzania; Hon. Abdallah Ulega, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, Tanzania; Hon. Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga, Minister in the President’s Office, Labour, Economic Affairs and Investment, Zanzibar; Hon. Suleiman Masoud Makame, Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries, Zanzibar; Hon. Shamata Shaame Khamis, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, Natural Resources and Livestock, Zanzibar; Hon. Henry Musa Kpaka, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sierra Leone; Ambassador Michael A. Battle Sr., US Ambassador, Tanzania and Craig Hart, Mission Director, USAID among other distinguished guests.
The Agriculture Transformation Office will harmonize all key existing agriculture strategies and link them together in one actionable Agriculture Masterplan, which will support the transformation of Tanzania’s agriculture into an inclusive, sustainable, and knowledge-driven climate-resilient sector. The office will also support in capacity building, including digital capabilities and tools, and deploy monitoring and evaluation tools.
“The Agriculture Transformation Office will support the Presidential Food and Agriculture Delivery Council to ensure greater coordination and implementation of efforts in the agriculture sector.” Stated Hon. Hussein Mohammed Bashe, Minister of Agriculture, Tanzania.
“The implementation of the Agriculture Masterplan under the Agriculture Transformation Office will require strong partnership, and when possible co-financing, with development partners and with private sector. We in Tanzania and in the Ministries of Agriculture and of Livestock and Fisheries are ready for this,” noted Hon. Abdallah Ulega, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, Tanzania.
“The Government of Tanzania has laid the foundation for success. The guarantee for this success will require strong partnerships with development partners and with the private sector,” said Ms. Safia Boly, Executive Director, African Agricultural Transformation Initiative.
Other guests in attendance included AATI partners Dr. Donal Brown, Vice-President, Programme Management (IFAD), Mr. Obai Khalifa, Deputy Director, Agriculture Development (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), Dr. Apollos Nwafor, Vice President, Policy and State Capability (AGRA), Mr. Omid Kassiri, Partner (McKinsey and Company), Heads of Missions and development partners, Private Sector partners and other distinguished guests.
AATI support to the Agriculture Transformation Office (ATO)
The AATI will provide support on 3 key pillars of Agriculture Transformation in Tanzania: (1) Strategy – Support the government in harmonizing all key existing strategies and link them together in one actionable Masterplan (2) Institutional set-up – Support the implementation of an Agriculture Transformation Office (ATO) to support the implementation and monitoring of the Masterplan, Governance mechanisms, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation tools (3) Flagship implementation – Support the implementation of key flagships through the ATO, including resource mobilization to ensure funding of key programs.
The African Agricultural Transformation Initiative (AATI) is an initiative co-founded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and McKinsey & Company. The AATI aims to foster inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation across the African continent by establishing and/or strengthening existing agricultural delivery systems. The Initiative helps Governments achieve their goals of reducing rural poverty, improving food security, building climate resilience, and promoting rural economic growth.
Media coverage
Waziri Bashe, Ulega washiriki Uzinduzi wa Agriculture Transformation Office
AATI yazindua ofisi ya mabadiliko ya kilimo Tanzania
Wizara ya Kilimo, AATI wazindua ofisi Itakayoshugulikia mabadiliko ya kilimo nchini
