The African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD) is stepping up efforts to tackle youth unemployment in East Africa through skills training, research fellowships and entrepreneurship programmes.
The institute, which operates in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, is targeting young people with practical skills to help them secure jobs, start businesses and become self-reliant.
Its programmes combine technical and digital training, postgraduate scholarships, scientific research and business development. They focus on linking university knowledge to the needs of communities and industry.
Speaking during the 25th AICAD Governing Board meeting on Thursday, board chairperson Kedrace Turyagyenda said the three partner countries were committed to supporting the institute’s work.
Turyagyenda, who is also Uganda’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Sports, said AICAD should prioritise programmes that respond to the changing needs of East African communities.
“As we seek greater regional agency for AICAD, programmes and initiatives must respond directly to the evolving needs of the East African Community, ensuring relevance and long-term impact,” she said.
AICAD executive director James Njiru said the institute was working to equip young people with skills that would enable them to create jobs rather than depend entirely on formal employment.
“We are equipping Africa’s youth with actionable capabilities, scientific rigour and entrepreneurial independence,” Njiru said.
He added that linking university research to industry needs and challenges facing communities would help turn knowledge into practical solutions.
In February 2026, AICAD launched the Start and Improve Your Business training programme for fourth-year students at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
The programme targets students preparing to enter the job market or establish their own businesses.
Participants receive training in business planning, marketing, costing, record-keeping, financial management, customer care and daily business operations.
Kisii University Vice Chancellor Nathan Ogechi, who chairs AICAD’s technical committee, said the institute had trained about 200 young people to start and manage businesses across different value chains.
The training also targets existing entrepreneurs, helping them improve their businesses, increase profits and manage growth.
AICAD is also supporting young researchers through postgraduate scholarships and international research placements.
Its Joint AICAD-Alliance Master’s Fellowship in agricultural and development economics, offered in partnership with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, provides sponsored tuition for a two-year interdisciplinary programme.
The fellowship supports research into how agricultural innovations and development programmes affect communities and livelihoods.
The institute also works with the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology to offer six-month postdoctoral fellowships to African researchers at laboratories in Italy and India.
The placements are intended to strengthen research skills and expose young scientists to international research networks.
Beyond universities, AICAD supports community projects targeting farmers, women and other vulnerable groups.
Its initiatives include irrigation farming in Kenya, women’s enterprises in Tanzania, livelihood programmes in Uganda, coffee nursery development in Siaya county and seaweed-based enterprises along the Kenyan Coast.
The institute’s research also covers artificial intelligence, crop health, applied mathematics, geospatial technology and bioherbicides.
Through these programmes, AICAD aims to turn research and technical knowledge into practical solutions that improve livelihoods and create economic opportunities for young people across the region.
