By: David Shoombe
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB), in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (ITTA), signed a US$16.61 million deal to promote climate resilience and food security in Africa.
Through the agreement, the AfDB and ITTA launched the third phase of the Technologies for Agricultural Transformation (TAAT-III) programme. The programme, first launched in 2018 aimed to promote ‘Feed Africa,’ one of the continental bank’s ‘High 5’ priorities through supporting farmers in vulnerable environments.
To date, the total investment into the programme stands at over US$3 billion, as per AfDB records. The bank’s 2025 annual report shows that “the programme has demonstrated the power of an innovative, climate-smart approach to agriculture using high-impact technologies to boost production, increase productivity, and mitigate risk through diversification and transformation across several agricultural value chains.”
Moreover, from mid-year 2018 to September 2021, the programme is said to have reached 24,910,363 (62.3%) out of 40,000,000 targeted beneficiaries on the continent. Looking ahead, the innovative agricultural programme aims to increase crop, livestock, and fish productivity by improving access to modern agricultural technologies to more than 40 million smallholder farmers across Africa.
Accelerated dissemination and promotional campaigns of proven technologies and high-quality seeds, improved livestock breeds and fingerlings, and clean planting materials from cassava cuttings and orange-fleshed sweet potato vines served as factors for the success of the programme. Previously, through TAAT phase 2, countries such as Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Benin benefitted from the programme, increasing their yield and reducing food imports.
In 2024, Zimbabwe achieved 92% of its wheat harvest target of 600,000 metric tons after overcoming various climate challenges, making it the country’s highest-ever wheat harvest. Additionally, TAAT’s facilitation of a robust and sustainable cassava seed system in Benin notably boosted its cassava production.
Namibia has also been a beneficiary of the TAAT programmes through the Namibia Agricultural Mechanisation and Seed Improvement Project (NAMSIP), an initiative co-funded by the AfDB and the Namibian government to improve agricultural productivity, seed improvement and align the country with its national goals of Vision 2030.
Speaking to The Villager, electrical technician turned farmer, Fiina Nandago stated that “Africa is not lacking initiatives, we lack sustainability of the projects in all sectors. The continental bank has done an incredible job; the concern is whether we keep up with projects beyond assistance or not.”
Nandago went on to urge fellow farmers to put good use to the various forms of assistance provided them by institutions such as the Green Climate Fund, which she is a beneficiary of.
Through the signing of the TAAT-III grant agreement, the AfDB shares the vision of transforming food system resilience, strengthening farmer capacity building, and making continued strides towards food security on the continent.
