India-Africa Institute of Agriculture and Rural Development (IAIARD) will develop training programmes in the areas of micro-financing and agro-financing, among others
In order to complement the efforts of the Government of India to enhance capacity in the areas of agro-financing and entrepreneurship development for African countries, Ministry of External Affairs signed an MoU today with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Consultancy Service (NABCONS) for setting up India-Africa Institute of Agriculture and Rural Development (IAIARD) in Malawi.
IAIARD will be a Pan-African Institute wherein trainees not only from Malawi but also from other African countries, will receive training to develop their human resources and build their capacity. IAIARD will develop training programmes in the areas of micro-financing and agro-financing, among others. The entire expenditure on faculty from India, the travel, logistics and training course expenses for students from other African countries will be borne by the Government of India for an initial period of three years.
This institute will be the first of its kind developed in an African country by India. This will further strengthen the bilateral relations with Malawi and India’s relations with African Union.
![The signing ceremony took place in Kisumu, with Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o representing the county government and UN-Habitat Executive Director in Kenya, Anaclaudia Rossbach, signing on behalf of the UN agency. Under the agreement, both parties commit to jointly implementing the housing upgrade project, which Governor Nyong’o said will primarily target vulnerable groups. “The PINUA programme [is] designed to benefit the most vulnerable members of the community,” Nyong’o said, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to fostering sustainable neighborhoods equipped with essential services. Beginning November 1, 2025, the county government, working with UN-Habitat, will launch pilot projects in Kibuye Estate and Muhoroni Sub-County, based on designs and models developed through extensive public participation. The programme will focus on upgrading informal settlements by providing essential social infrastructure such as schools, sanitation facilities, affordable rental housing, early childhood development centres, and public open spaces. It also supports incremental housing models, allowing families to progressively build and eventually own decent homes. Rossbach emphasized UN-Habitat’s global commitment to driving transformative change in urban areas: “This partnership is crucial in advancing our new strategy, which focuses on improving housing access and digitally transforming informal settlements for everyone.” According to UN-Habitat housing architect Fred Omenya, the pilot phase will begin in January 2026 with the construction of two blocks of 24 housing units in Kibuye Estate.](https://businessinsights.africa/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/About-us-still-25957706200_7ca2db7e5e_k-80x60.jpg "Kisumu, UN-Habitat sign Ksh2.7bn deal for social housing upgrade")
