The future of Africa’s agriculture is increasingly being shaped by young innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and climate conscious leaders. At the center of this transformation is the TAGDev 2.0 program, a major initiative implemented by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.
Officially known as Transforming African Agricultural Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev 2.0), the ten-year program (2023–2033) seeks to equip young Africans with practical skills, entrepreneurship knowledge, and climate-resilient agricultural expertise.
The initiative builds on the success of TAGDev 1.0 and currently involves 12 African universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across countries including Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Benin, South Africa, Morocco, and Malawi.
According to RUFORUM, the program aims to “skill and empower Africa’s young people” to drive “inclusive, equitable and climate resilient transformation” within agriculture and food systems.
The scholarship program specifically targets academically capable but economically disadvantaged African students. Women, refugees, internally displaced persons, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applications for the 2026/2027 TAGDev 2.0 scholarships opened in April 2026, with participating universities offering both undergraduate and postgraduate opportunities in agriculture, agribusiness, STEM fields, data science, entrepreneurship, climate financing, and leadership studies.
One of the program’s most significant strengths is its emphasis on employability and practical community impact rather than purely theoretical education. Students benefit from entrepreneurship training, internships, field attachments, research funding, and leadership development. The scholarship package also covers tuition fees, accommodation, living stipends, laptops, internship attachments, and conference support.
Speaking about the program’s mission, RUFORUM noted that TAGDev 2.0 seeks to strengthen universities and TVET institutions so they can “better serve communities.”
The program further aligns with the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, which focuses on improving educational quality, promoting entrepreneurship, and expanding opportunities for African youth.
Beyond classrooms, TAGDev 2.0 also addresses broader agricultural challenges facing the continent, including weak innovation systems, limited climate-adaptive technologies, unemployment among graduates, and inadequate commercialization of research outputs.
In July 2025, the Mastercard Foundation Executive Committee visited the RUFORUM Secretariat in Kampala, Uganda, to review the program’s progress and celebrate its impact. During the visit, the program was described as underpinning “science, inclusion, sustainability and entrepreneurship.”
The program’s long-term goals are ambitious. RUFORUM estimates that by the end of the initiative, over 4,000 TVET students and more than 30,000 out of school youth will have received training, while approximately 820,000 smallholder farmers across Africa are expected to benefit indirectly through knowledge sharing and agricultural extension services.
Students and young professionals across Africa continue to express strong interest in Mastercard Foundation opportunities due to their reputation for full financial support and career building experiences. Discussions on online platforms such as Reddit show growing anticipation around Mastercard Foundation scholarship outcomes and internship opportunities. One Reddit user described work experience as “the real currency,” emphasizing the importance of employability programs connected to the Foundation.
The growing popularity of initiatives like TAGDev 2.0 reflects a wider shift in African higher education toward skills-based learning, innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. Agriculture, which remains a major employer across the continent, is increasingly being reimagined as a modern, technology-driven sector capable of solving food insecurity, unemployment, and climate-related challenges.
As Africa’s youth population continues to rise, programs such as TAGDev 2.0 may play a crucial role in preparing a new generation of agricultural leaders. By combining education with entrepreneurship, research, leadership, and community engagement, the Mastercard Foundation and RUFORUM are helping reshape how universities contribute to Africa’s economic and social transformation.
For many young Africans, TAGDev 2.0 is more than just a scholarship program. It represents access to opportunity, innovation, and the possibility of creating long-term change within their communities and across the continent.