Kigali, 31 March 2025 

On 31 March 2025, the Students, Faculty members and support staff of Rwanda Defence Force Senior Command and Staff College (RDF SCSC) Nyakinama have started the National Study Tour (NST) 2025 running from 31 March to 4 April 2025, under the theme “Agricultural Transformation Policy towards Achieving Sustainable Security and Development”. The tour began with a policy-level briefing at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), where the Hon. Minister, Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe provided an overview on national strategies.

The NST is a key component of  Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College (RDFCSC) curriculum. It is designed to help the College to achieve one of the College’s primary goals, to develop and produce officers who can effectively understand various national policy and governance issues. The NST offers students the opportunity to conduct in-depth field research on a specific national topic. 

This year’s study tour focused on Rwanda’s Agricultural Policy, with the goal of evaluating its effectiveness in maintaining the country’s ability to unforeseen agricultural shocks resulting from crises in the near future. Issues such as disasters, climate change and population growth present significant challenges, necessitating a comprehensive reassessment of the sustainability and resilience of the agriculture sector.             

The students were divided into four teams and each team traveled to different Rwandan provinces for its research. The areas visited included the RAB Rubirizi Seeds Laboratory, the RAB Rubirizi Veterinary Laboratory, the Gorilla Animal Feeds Factory, and the INYANGE Milk Factory. 

One of the modules of the students of SCSC 13 is Policy and Strategy, critical analysis of the Rwandan agriculture sector as essential to determine its resilience and sustainability to enhance food security.                                 

The objectives for the NST 2025 were:

• To study Rwanda’s Agriculture Policy.
• To assess the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the policy strategies.
• To assess the involvement and role of the public and private sectors in agriculture.                                                                                                                                                                                     
• To evaluate the implementation and identify challenges in agricultural projects and initiatives aligned with the sector policies and strategies.
• To establish the link between the policies of the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture.                                                                                                        
• To assess the effect of climate change on crop and livestock production.
• To identify resilience mechanisms to address unforeseen crises.
• To make necessary recommendations.