Tanga. Deputy Minister for Finance, Mr Laurent Luswetula, has commended the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) for its role in empowering farmers and young people through access to finance, as the National Financial Services Week 2026 officially opened in Tanga.
The national event, which opened on January 19, 2026, at the Usagara Grounds, is organised by the government through the Ministry of Finance to educate citizens on proper use of financial services, promote financial inclusion and encourage participation in economic activities for sustainable development.
Speaking at the national launch on January 21, 2026 Mr Luswetula said development finance institutions such as TADB are key to accelerating agricultural transformation and expanding financial inclusion, particularly among smallholder farmers and youth.
During the week-long event, TADB is offering public education on its services, focusing on how the bank supports the shift from subsistence to commercial agriculture.
The bank is also providing information on access to loans, formalisation of agribusinesses and the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme for smallholder farmers.
TADB Manager for Marketing and Corporate Relations, Ms Irene John, said that out of Sh49.9 billion disbursed in the Northern Zone, more than Sh29 billion has been invested in Tanga Region to support agriculture and agribusiness projects.
Meanwhile, TADB Business Development Officer for the Northern Zone, Ms Irene Kasegezya, said the bank has reached more than 219 youths in Tanga through the fishermen and boats project, comprising 85 women and 134 men.
She added that TADB has supported more than 5,000 dairy farmers, including cooperative societies and individual livestock keepers, while more than 600 tea farmers and over 270 rice farmers have also benefited from the bank’s financing. In addition, the sheep and goat fattening programme produces about 500 animals every three months.
The National Financial Services Week brings together financial institutions from across the country, with members of the public encouraged to visit exhibition booths to access financial education and services.
