Partners of the Women and Youth Economic Empowerment in Fisheries through Inclusive Market Access program gathered in Nairobi for a two-day workshop on February 26-27, 2025. The workshop focused on assessing progress in work plans, financial compliance, safeguarding measures, and gender considerations to ensure the successful implementation of the four-year initiative. Organized by TradeMark Africa (TMA), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and the Mastercard Foundation, the event also brought together key implementing partners—Kilimo Trust, MSC Global Consulting, and Lattice Aquaculture—to align on impact, results, and reporting mechanisms for effective program delivery. The initiative aims to create over 240,000 jobs by 2028.
Ahead of the workshop, the AfCFTA Secretariat’s Private Sector Unit (PSU) held bilateral discussions with TMA to refine strategies for engaging a broader range of stakeholders. These efforts included hosting a Fish Feeds Stakeholders Roundtable, which convened public and private sector representatives, including aquapreneurs and fish feed manufacturers. The discussions focused on strengthening the fish feed supply chain to support sustainable aquaculture growth and competitiveness.
Further engagement efforts included a visit to Kamuthanga Fish Farm in Machakos County, Kenya, a facility specializing in fingerling production. The farm utilizes Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) technology, an advanced method that enhances fish farming efficiency for cage and pond producers. The delegation was briefed on key challenges in aquaculture production, particularly fish feed shortages, and examined market demand projections to guide future interventions within the program.
Launched in June 2024, the four-year fisheries program is a collaborative effort between the AfCFTA Secretariat and TMA, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. It is being implemented in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zambia, Nigeria, across 11 border crossings, and will later expand to selected island states in Africa.
The program aims to remove structural barriers preventing women and youth from fully participating in the fisheries value chain, thereby enhancing their economic growth potential. Key objectives include providing training, strengthening supply chain linkages, promoting digital solutions, simplifying trade regulations, ensuring compliance with standards, and facilitating cross-border market access.
Africa’s fisheries sector currently employs at least 12 million people, many of whom are women engaged in processing, marketing, and post-harvest activities. This initiative seeks to empower these individuals, ensuring their full integration into the fisheries economy while driving sustainable development and trade growth across the continent.
