Gulu University has launched Agri-food Systems Research and Entrepreneurship Centre (ASEC) Program under TAGDeV 2.0. The launch took place at the Gulu University New Library on Thursday 7TH August 2025 during an inception meeting that brought together over 100 participants across Acholi, Lango and West Nile sub-regions.
Dr. Collins Okello, the Dean Faculty of Agriculture and Environment Gulu University said TAGDev 2.0 programme which comes after a successful implementation of TAGDeV 1.0 from 2016 to 2024 seeks to strengthen capacities of universities and TVET institutions to better serve communities by skilling and empowering young people to drive inclusive, equitable and climate resilient transformation of the Agrifood Systems.
“During TAGDeV 1.0 implementation, we worked together with Egerton University, Bobi Community Polytechnic, Northern Uganda Youth Development Centre Labora and we were able to train over 200 students at both under graduate and post graduate level, and trained farmers groups with entrepreneurship skills through the RICE and PIG Value Chain project,” says Dr. Okello.Read More
Dr. Collins Okello, Dean Faculty of Agriculture and Environment
Associate Prof. Duncan Ongeng, the TAGDeV coordinator Gulu University said, for this program to be successful in the different subregions of Acholi, Lango, Teso and West Nile, it needs multi-stakeholder collaborations.
“In this program, we want to see how we can strengthen our collaborations to make it more functional and meaningful championed by the core three universities of Gulu, Muni, and Busitema,” said Assoc. Prof. Ongeng.
Assoc. Prof. Ongeng added that the program is meant to improve the livelihoods of young women and men, refugees, internally displaced persons, and persons with disabilities using the agri-food systems approach as the entry point.
“Our intertest is to put university students, refugees, out of school, young people, and TVET students on their feet”, Assoc. Prof. Ongeng adds.
Assoc. Prof. Duncan Ongeng, TAGDeV coordinator Gulu University
The ASEC’s goal is to foster inclusive and equitable climate resilient socio-economic development. It particularly seeks to provide interventions that lead to jobs and wealth creation for young women, men, people with disabilities and the refugees.
Participants during ASEC Inception Meeting
The ASEC targets co-creating research for climate change adaptable technologies, innovations and practices as a way of increasing productivity and production in agri-value chains in a sustainable manner.
Prof. George Ladaah Openjuru, the Vice Chancellor of Gulu University welcomed participants for the inception meeting and launch of ASEC emphasizing the role of TAGDeV in supporting young African students that are economically disadvantaged but academically competent to access higher education.
Prof. George Ladaah Openjuru, Vice Chancellor of Gulu University Launching ASEC Program
ASEC as a consortium comprises of three core partners; Gulu University, the lead institution in Northern Uganda, Muni University from West Nile, and Busitema University in Eastern Uganda. Each of the three core partners works with 2-4 Technical and Vocational Training Institutions (TVETs).
Jennifer Ulea, TAGDeV 1.0 Beneficiary from Agojo Refugee Settlement in Adjumani District
TAGDeV 2.0 which is operating in 12 developing countries in Africa is a 10-year program supported by Mastercard Foundation Gulu University in partnership with the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture [RUFORUM] and the Mastercard Foundation are implementing the “Transforming African Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development [TAGDEV 2.0]”. The TAGDEV 2.0 builds on an earlier initiative, TAGDEV 1.0.
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