NAVCDP Strengthens County Capacity Through Agripreneur Model Training

The National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) has taken a major step toward strengthening commercialization and digital service delivery through a five-day training for County Digital Agriculture Leads (CDALs) and County Community Extension Officers (CCEOs). Held from 9th to 13th February 2026 in Machakos County, the training brought together county technical teams to deepen their understanding of the Agripreneur (AP) Model and its role in transforming agricultural service delivery across participating counties.

The workshop followed recommendations from the World Bank Mid-Term Review Mission, which emphasised the need to onboard Agripreneurs to support incubation, commercialization, and operationalisation of digital agriculture solutions. In response, the National Project Coordinating Unit (NPCU) partnered with a Business Accelerator to support structured rollout of the model.

Turning Strategy into Action

The training moved beyond theory to practical application. Participants were guided through the structure and objectives of the Agripreneur Model, trained on the AP Digital Platform, introduced to Digital TIMPs, and equipped with clarity on roles and responsibilities at both national and county levels. Sessions also focused on the flow of funds and financial accountability mechanisms, ensuring that as Agripreneurs are deployed, systems are transparent, coordinated, and results-oriented.

By bringing together digital leads and extension officers in one forum, the training strengthened the bridge between technology, advisory services, and commercialization. Counties left better prepared to operationalise agripreneur-led services at ward level, ensuring farmers receive timely advisory support, digital tools, and market-oriented guidance.

Positioning Agripreneurs at the Centre of Commercialisation

The Agripreneur Model is designed to shift agriculture from subsistence to commercially driven production by embedding youth-led innovation within county systems. Agripreneurs are expected to play a catalytic role, supporting farmer profiling, facilitating digital service delivery, strengthening linkages to value chains, and improving access to information and markets. Through this capacity-building effort, NAVCDP is not only strengthening institutional readiness but also laying the groundwork for scalable, sustainable agricultural transformation.

Building Systems That Deliver

The successful completion of the training marks an important milestone in aligning county teams around a shared vision for commercialization and digital agriculture. With clearer coordination structures, defined responsibilities, and enhanced technical skills, counties are now better positioned to translate project investments into measurable impact at farmer level.

As implementation continues, the Agripreneur Model is expected to accelerate service delivery, strengthen accountability, and contribute to more resilient and competitive agricultural value chains across participating counties.