By Business Insider Reporter
The 2026 edition of the Tri-Nations Livestock Expo will feature a strong gender empowerment dimension through the introduction of the prestigious “Tri-Nations Woman of the Year Award.”
According to the organisers, the initiative is designed to recognise, celebrate, and empower outstanding women who are driving transformation and innovation across the livestock and agribusiness value chains.
The coordinator of the expo and Director of Mbogo Ranches, Naweed Mulla, said the annual accolade will honour female leaders, entrepreneurs, farmers, and industry actors whose contributions are advancing agricultural productivity, food security, value addition, and inclusive economic growth within the region.
The recognition, which will debut during this year’s Tri-Nations Livestock Expo scheduled for June 19–21, 2026 at Mbogo Ranches in Chalinze, will celebrate the most outstanding innovative and enterprising woman in livestock farming and agribusiness leadership from Tanzania, Kenya and Namibia.
Sectoral observers say the initiative reflects the growing recognition of women as key drivers of commercial agriculture, livestock modernization and rural economic transformation across Africa.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with Business Insider, Mr. Mulla said the award is designed to celebrate women whose contributions are reshaping the livestock and agribusiness value chain.
“We want to recognise and honour women who are making a real impact in agriculture and livestock development across our region. Women are increasingly becoming leaders in farming, livestock trade, agribusiness innovation, processing and entrepreneurship, and their contribution deserves greater visibility and support,” he noted.
The competition will focus on women demonstrating excellence in sectors including farming, livestock trade, value addition, agritech innovation, cooperative leadership and agribusiness entrepreneurship.
The award is currently open exclusively to women from the three participating countries – Tanzania, Kenya and Namibia – reinforcing the expo’s broader vision of promoting regional collaboration and knowledge exchange within Africa’s livestock and agricultural sectors.
Mr. Mulla said the initiative goes beyond recognition and seeks to inspire more women and young people to view livestock and farming at large as a modern, commercially viable and innovation-driven sector.
“Africa’s agricultural future cannot be achieved without women. Through this award, we are also sending a strong message that livestock and agribusiness are not just traditional activities but strategic economic sectors with enormous opportunities for investment, innovation and employment creation,” he told Business Insider.
Applications for the inaugural award opened on April 15, 2026, and will close on May 15, 2026, ahead of the main expo in June.
Beyond the award, the Tri-Nations Livestock Expo 2026 is positioning itself as a major regional platform focused on livestock trade, superior genetics, agritech solutions, financing, value addition and cross-border agribusiness partnerships.
Industry stakeholders say the women-focused award add a social and economic empowerment dimension to the event while supporting gender inclusion in Africa’s agricultural economy.
The initiative comes as governments and financial institutions increasingly prioritize agriculture and livestock to drive food security, industrialization, exports and rural incomes. Mr. Mulla said that the “Tri Nations Woman of the Year Awards” will help strengthen regional livestock trade and investment while raising the profile of women shaping Africa’s agricultural future.
