About Ministry
The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) has the mission of promoting the sustainable development of a modern, efficient and competitive agriculture and livestock sector, in order to ensure food security, agriculture export and diversification of the productions for the benefit of the farmer and the economy of the Country.
Phone:
4127
Email:
info@minagri.gov.rw
Address:
KG 569 Street, Kigali
The vision of the Ministry, as defined by the National Agricultural Policy (2018), is for Rwanda to become “a nation that enjoys food security, nutritional health and sustainable agricultural growth from a productive, green and market-led agricultural sector.”
The policy objectives are formulated according to the Malabo Declaration (2014) under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) framework of the African Union: 1) Increased contribution to wealth creation, 2) economic opportunities and prosperity, 3) improved food security and nutrition, and 4) increased resilience and sustainability.
The policy actions are organised under four broad policy pillars: 1) Enabling environment and responsive institutions; 2) Technological Upgrading and Skills Development; 3) Productivity and Sustainability; 4) Inclusive Markets and Off-Farm Opportunities.
Pillar 1: Enabling Environment & Responsive Institutions: Turning the agricultural sector around will require substantial investment while public finances are getting scarce. It is therefore vital to attract investments from the private sector, driving sector toward commercialisation.
Greater private sector participation will require a shift in the role of the government from being a market actor to becoming a market enabler. To make this shift, the NAP presents an agenda for institutional and regulatory reforms which defines the principles of public investment, lays out a framework for attracting private investment to the agricultural sector while enhancing access to finance, and enhance responsiveness of institution.
Pillar 2: Technological Upgrading and Skills Development: Technological upgrading is at the crux of productivity growth. This pillar presents a research agenda for closing Rwanda’s agriculture technology and skills gap, thus making more people employable. To implement the agenda, the research capacity must be upgraded with an extension system that stimulates feedback mechanisms from the producers to ensure research and extension services are demand-driven.
The policy emphasizes the importance of developed skills for farmers, youth and women which will help to alleviate poverty in the long run, by creating economic opportunities. These will be crucial to implement research findings through innovative new technologies and strategies, increasing resilience and sustainability.
Pillar 3: Productivity and Sustainability: Agricultural production must increase accordingly in order to meet socio-economic and food and nutrition security issues. The adverse effects on land resources and climate change must be countered with continued efforts to increase inputs and sustainable climate smart practices; protecting agricultural land against fragmentation, erosion, and degradation; and shifting production toward higher-value products and introducing land-saving technologies. Animal resources production has seen growth in recent years. To increase production further, sustained effort is required toward introducing improved breeds, sourcing animal feed, and fighting animal diseases. Farmers tend to be vulnerable to risk. It is therefore required to build resilience and response mechanisms against adverse events in farming communities and provide social protection for vulnerable groups.
Pillar 4: Inclusive markets and off-farm opportunities: Efficiently working market systems are deciding factors for consumers, producers, processors, and traders alike. This pillar promotes improved productivity and inclusiveness of agricultural market systems and increased off-farm opportunities of diversified for agricultural products for domestic, regional, and international markets. Moreover, the objective is to promote reliable access to affordable and healthy diets for the Rwandan consumer in order to meet national objectives on poverty reduction, food security, and nutrition. This will be achieved by strengthening post-harvest handling and market linkages throughout the value chain with hard and soft infrastructure; secondly, to increase awareness and access to healthy diets for the consumer; thirdly, to promote food safety and access to higher end markets with expanded access SPS and quality standards certification. Finally, to streamline value chains to exploit the growing opportunities for export diversification.
These policy actions are implemented through the fifth Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture (PSTA5).
The Minister
Telesphore NDABAMENYE, PhD
Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources
Dr. Telesphore NDABAMENYE is the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI).
With over 25 years of experience, he previously served as the Minister of State for Agriculture and Animal Resources, Director General of the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), and as the Africa Regional Platform Manager for the World Economic Forum’s Food Action Alliance. He was also a Senior Advisor for the Food Systems Transformation Agenda towards the 2030 SDGs.
Dr. NDABAMENYE also previously held numerous senior roles within the agriculture sector, including Head of the Department of Crop Production and Food Security and Deputy Director General of Infrastructure and Mechanization at RAB. Additionally, he served as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) and as the Chairperson of the Nyamasheke District Council.
He holds a Ph.D. in Soil Science (Soil Science and Plant Nutrition), a MSc in Soil Science, and a BSc in Soil and Rural Engineering. Dr. NDABAMENYE has published several scientific papers in peer-reviewed international journals, including Field Crops Research and Scientia Horticulturae.
The Minister of State
Solange UWITUZE, PhD
Minister of State
Dr. Solange Uwituze is the Minister of State for Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI).
With 19 years of prior experience in Higher Agriculture Education, she previously served as the Acting Director General at Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB).
Further, Dr. Uwituze has been the Board Chair of Gabiro AgriHub Business Ltd and a Deputy Board Chair of Gako Meat Company Ltd.
She has also been serving as a Board Member of Rwanda Development Board (RDB), and a Board Member of The Kigali Collaborative Research Center-KCRC. She is also a Founding Fellow of the Rwanda Academy of Sciences (RAS).
She also previously served as the Program Manager for Partnerships and Business Management at the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) Secretariat and the Programme Manager for Training and Quality Assurance at the same institution. Prior to joining RUFORUM Secretariat She served as the Dean of Faculty of Agriculture, former National University of Rwanda.
Dr. Solange has led teams that successfully won a number of capacity development projects such as the World Bank Funded Africa Centers of Excellence, CIUF/CIUD, EDULINK, etc; both at the Faculty level and RUFORUM secretariat.
Dr. Solange has experience in leadership and management of various capacity building projects including those funded by USAID, NUFFIC, Sida, DAAD, EU, and Carnegie corporation of New York.
Permanent Secretary
Dr. Olivier KAMANA
Permanent Secretary
Dr. Olivier Kamana is the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources since January 2023
Dr Olivier KAMANA holds a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) and a Master’s degree in Animal Production, both from Université Cheikh Anta Diop (Senegal). He also holds a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences (Microbiological Risk Analysis of Foods) from Ghent University (Belgium).
He is a seasoned researcher, with over 15 years experience. His research interests are in the areas of Food Safety and Veterinary Public Health, with the overall goal to integrate basic and applied research with quantitative microbial risk assessment and molecular epidemiological tools to investigate foodborne pathogens in the human food chain.
He served as Lecturer at University of Rwanda for 11 years and was involved in numerous research projects. Prior to joining MINAGRI, he worked for four years as the Head of Applied Research and Development and Foresight Incubation Department at the National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA).
Chief Digital Officer
Martine NEZERWA
Chief Digital Officer for Agriculture
Martine Nezerwa, is the Chief Digital Officer in the agriculture sector since December 2020.
Prior to being appointed, she had been serving as Tech Lead at BK TecHouse since May 2019.
Martine is a seasoned software engineer with extensive experience and management skills in the tech industry.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering management from Oklahoma Christian University as well as a Master of Science in Telecommunication systems and Networks from Pace University.
Director Generals
Dr. Chantal INGABIRE
Director General of Planning
Dr. Chantal Ingabire is the Director General of Planning in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources since May 2021.
Prior to that position, she was Socio-economics Researcher at Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) since August 2008.
She joined the Ministry with extensive experience of working with rural farming communities but also with multi-disciplinary research teams.
She has expertise in designing both quantitative, qualitative and mixed method studies and more than 12 years of experience in data management.
Since 2015, Dr. Ingabire’ s works focused on smallholder women’s integration in the on-going Rwandan Agricultural transformation and its impact on their livelihoods. She holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics, a Masters’ degree in Agribusiness Management and Trade and a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness.
Patrick KARANGWA (PhD)
Director General of Agriculture Modernisation
Dr. Patrick Karangwa is the Director General of Agriculture Modernization for the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources of Rwanda since January 2023
He has got significant experience serving in senior leadership positions, including having been the Director General of Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) for five years (2018-2023) and the Head of Research Department in RAB (2015-2018). He served on Boards of various organisations, including the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (ASARECA), and is a Member of the Board of Champions of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.
He has also worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as a consultant and served as the Country Representative of the Agricultural Biotechnology Network in Africa (ABNETA) - an FAO’s initiative.
Dr. Karangwa has got over 15 years of experience as an agricultural research scientist, during which he published scientific works in refereed journals, books, and international conferences, and written several fund winning projects for Rwanda’s Agriculture Transformation. These include the project “Development of Market Responsive Plant Varieties and Seed Systems” which made major contributions towards the ending of seed importation under Government subsidy, and upgraded crop science research capacity. Dr. Karangwa has also lectured in higher learning institutions at University of Rwanda (UR) and the Institut d’Enseignment Superieur (INES).
A PhD holder in Plant Pathology from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, he also holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Biotechnology from the University of Wageningen, the Netherlands and the University of Rwanda, respectively.
Jean Claude NDORIMANA
Director General, Animal Resources Development
Jean Claude Ndorimana is the Director General, Animal Resources Development for the Ministry of Agricuture and Animal Resources since January 2023.
Jean Claude Ndorimana is Aquaculture & Fisheries Expert. He has over 19 years’ experience in the field of agriculture, animal resources, fisheries and aquaculture; he is currently the Director General of Animal Resources Development in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources of the Republic of Rwanda;
Prior to that, he served as Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Assistant Lecturer at University of Rwanda teaching courses related to aquaculture and fisheries sciences; National Aquaculture Economist Consultant for FAO TCP aimed at promoting aquaculture as business in Rwanda; as Head of Aquaculture and Fisheries Technical Department for Inland Lakes Integrated Development and Management Support Project (PAIGELAC) funded by African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Rwanda through the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI); as Technician in the National Veterinary Laboratory of Rwanda / MINAGRI; He is in the Roster of FAO Aquaculture and Fisheries Experts of Africa;
He holds a Master of Science in Aquaculture from Nha Trang University (Vietnam) and a Master of Arts in Development Studies from Kabale University (Uganda) with several training courses from internationally recognized Aquaculture and Fisheries Training Centres.
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Ms. Alice Mukamugema
Director General of Agriculture Value Chain Management and Trade
Ms. Alice Mukamugema is the Director General of Agriculture Value Chain Management and Trade from January 25th, 2024.
Prior to assuming this role, she held the position of Crop Products Supply Chain and Market Analyst within the same Directorate for approximately two and a half years.
Before her tenure at MINAGRI, Ms. Alice contributed to the socio-economic research domain, collaborating with private researchers, predominantly University lecturers, and various institutions such as IPAR-Rwanda and NISR.
Ms. Alice holds a Master’s Degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Egerton University, Kenya, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Rural Development and Agribusiness from the University of Rwanda, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (UR-CAVM).
Employee of The Year 2024-2025
Pascal BIZIMUNGU
Civil Engineering Specialist
Engineer BIZIMUNGU Pascal is the Civil Engineering Specialist for the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) under the Single Project Implementation Unit.
At the ministry, BIZIMUNGU has worked on the construction of Storages Facilities, including warehouses, computerized Silos Plants, and has been instrumental in ensuring the maintenance of existing MINAGRI buildings especially storage facilities for the National Strategic Grain Reserves (NSGR).
He previously served as the Rural Infrastructure Specialist for MINAGRI since July 2016 and has since worked on the construction of new storages facilities and drying grounds for grains while also supporting the construction and maintenance of warehouses and silos plants to ensure proper storage of grains.
BIZIMUNGU was also the Infrastructure Specialist for the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources /Post-Harvest Handling and Storages Task Force (PHHSTF) since October 2012; for construction of Post-Harvest Infrastructures such as Feeder roads and the Storages Facilities (Drying Grounds, Warehouses) and Ensuring the Maintenance of existing MINAGRI/PHHSTF Buildings especially the ministry’s grain storages located in different parts of the country.
Before his tenure at the ministry, he served as Individual Consultant for Technical designs, supervisions and executions of Civil Engineering Projects such as Construction of Buildings (Non-Storied and Storied), Roads and Bridges, Irrigation infrastructures and any other projects related to this field.
BIZIMUNGU holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from the National University of Rwanda.
He has also completed several local and international training courses in fields such as roads construction and maintenance, maintenance of agricultural infrastructure for food security, as well as rural agriculture development.
He was proudly recognized as Best Employee of the Year 2024/2025 for his dedication and outstanding service.