On August 18th 2021, The African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) together with Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), and Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS) officially launched the 5th Africa-wide Agricultural Extension Week (AAEW) 2021. The AAEW is a continental event to deliberate on strategic issues in agricultural extension and advisory services (AEAS) in Africa. The launch was attended by over 30 participants representing various AEAS actors in Government, Civil society, academia, and private sectors in Uganda.
Organized under the theme “Effective Agricultural Extension Systems for Sustainable Agripreneurship in Africa”, the 5th Africa-wide Agricultural Extension Week 2021 will take place on 14-20th November 2021 in Kampala, Uganda, and virtually. The event will be co-hosted by the three partners above with support from the European Union’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), The World Bank, and other partners. Registration is now open here : https://cutt.ly/AAEW21Reg
Speaking at the launch, the AFAAS Executive Director Dr Silim Nahdy underscored the relevance of partnerships for the AAEW and the contribution to the agricultural sector in Africa and beyond. “The synergies between AFAAS, MAAIF and the development partners are strong. This 5th Agricultural Extension Week is a timely event to deliberate on issues in agricultural extension from different perspectives” remarked Dr Nahdy.
Representing the Ministry of Agricultural Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon. Fred Kyakulaga Bwino, the Minister of State for Agriculture, appreciated AFAAS for giving the Republic of Uganda the opportunity to host the 5th AAEW, noting that the event is an important event not only for Uganda but Africa as a whole. He also thanked UFAAS for the collaboration with MAAIF over the years.
Hon. Bwino highlighted the critical contribution of agricultural extension, decried the challenges faced by the sector including the wide ratio between extension. He assured the actors that Uganda’s National Development Plan III (NDP III) has put agricultural extension at the centre of the agro-industrialization program, and that addressing constraints faced by extension is a priority of MAAIF. He called for concerted effort of relevant actors in the pluralistic extension system. “I wish to re-assure everyone that the agriculture sector transformation is on course but to realise our end state will require support and cooperation of all of us.” remarked Hon. Bwino.
Follow event updates on social media platforms at hashtags #AAEW2021 and #AgriExtWeek21
The Africa-Wide Agricultural Extension Week is routinely organized to collectively deliberate on potential remedies to effectively address agricultural extension issues. It is a platform for sharing experiences and learning amongst professionals of different disciplines with a stake in AEAS, strengthening interactions with policy-makers and investors and developing fruitful partnerships. The AAEW is also meant to provide a platform for deliberating on new developments, emerging needs in capacity development and defining strategic direction in agricultural extension and advisory services for the coming years.
So far, AFAAS has organised and held four successful AAEWs as follows:
- The first was held in Gaborone, Botswana in August 2013 on the theme “Value Chain Approach in Agricultural Development: Coping with new demands for Agricultural Advisory Services”.
- The second took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in October 2015 on the theme “Reinvigorating Extension Services for Market-led Agriculture within the Context of the Malabo Declaration”.
- The third was held in Durban South Africa October/November 2017 on the theme “Scaling up climate smart agriculture: integrating youth, women, and the digital revolution”.
- The fourth was held in Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire in 2019 in November 2019 on the theme “Private Sector and Agricultural Advisory Services Synergies for Sustainable Agricultural Development in Africa”
The fifth will be held in Uganda under the theme “Effective Agricultural Extension Systems for Sustainable Agripreneurship in Africa”: and sub-themes below:
i. Innovative AEAS approaches for resilient and practical actions
ii. Towards professionalization of AEAS systems in Africa: Where are we?
iii. Agro-industrialization in the context of trade regimes: Implications for AEAS
iv. Harnessing agripreneurship opportunities for youth and women
v. AEAS resilience to pandemics and emergencies: Lessons across Africa
Find out more about the AAEW, from this Concept note
Compiled by UFAAS Communication Information and Knowledge Management (CIKM) Unit
