By Alfred Zacharia
The Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliament and Coordination), Dr. Jim Yonazi, has held a final meeting with a delegation from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and experts implementing the Agricultural and Fisheries Development Programme (AFDP).
The meeting came after the IFAD team, together with local experts, visited several project sites in both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.
Their goal was to see how the programme is being carried out and to learn from the progress made on the ground.
They also visited another project known as ARNSA, which focuses on improving nutrition for small-scale fish farmers and seaweed growers.
The wrap-up meeting took place on April 11, 2025, at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dodoma.
Dr. Yonazi praised the progress of the AFDP programme and said the results so far are encouraging.
He called on the team to continue building on their success and promised that the government will keep supporting the programme through close cooperation with TAMISEMI.
“The government is working hand in hand with IFAD to make sure this programme delivers real results and improves the lives of the people it was designed to help,” said Dr. Yonazi.
IFAD’s Country Director, Mr. Sakphouseth Meng, also stressed the importance of involving the President’s Office - Regional Administration and Local Government (TAMISEMI) to reach more people in need.
He encouraged the private sector to take part in the programme so it can grow stronger and continue to help even more farmers and fishers in the future.
The meeting ended with a shared commitment from all sides to push the programme forward and bring lasting change to Tanzania’s agriculture and fisheries sectors.
