Zanzibar reviews progress on Norway-supported Joint Programme and complementary seaweed initiative

The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, the United Nations and development partners met in Zanzibar this week to review progress on two joint programmes supporting vulnerable communities in Kaskazini Unguja and Kaskazini Pemba, with the Zanzibar Joint Programme (ZJP) at the centre of discussions.

Supported by a USD 3.5 million contribution from the Royal Norwegian Embassy through the Tanzania SDG Acceleration Fund, the ZJP is helping advance food systems transformation, climate resilience, human capital development, and efforts to end violence against women and children in northern Zanzibar. Launched in 2025, the programme is a joint initiative of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar and the United Nations, implemented through the collective engagement of 12 UN organizations working closely with Government ministries and local partners.

The meeting brought together senior Government officials, heads of UN organizations, development partners and other stakeholders, including UN Resident Coordinator Susan Ngongi Namondo and the Ambassador of Spain to Tanzania, Ms. Paloma Serra Robles. Discussions focused on progress to date and on how to make coordination simpler and more effective as implementation moves forward.

Partners also reviewed progress on the complementary Joint Programme on Transforming Seaweed Farming through Integrated Financial Solutions, which builds on the ZJP’s food systems pillar by addressing financing and market bottlenecks in the seaweed value chain. Together, the two programmes combine community-level support with longer-term work on finance, markets and systems strengthening.

Opening the meeting, Dr Afua Mohamed, Acting Executive Secretary of the Zanzibar Planning Commission, stressed the importance of using the review to inform the next phase of implementation and resource mobilization. “Understanding what aspects of these programmes are most effective, scalable, and impactful will guide us as we seek to expand successful models and attract more development financing,” she said.

Dr Afua also acknowledged the role of current partners in getting both programmes off the ground. “We remain grateful to the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the UN Joint SDG Fund for financing the first phase of this Joint program and to their commitment to reducing poverty, strengthening resilience, and advancing inclusive development in Zanzibar,” she said.

For her part, Susan Ngongi Namondo emphasized the need to look beyond funding alone when assessing the value of the two initiatives. 

“These Joint Programmes should be understood not primarily as funding instruments—even as we acknowledge the funding is important - but we need to see the JPs as platforms for building Government capability and resilience,” she said. She noted that the recent field visit to Pemba showed not only project outputs, but also Government-led systems being strengthened — with communities adopting climate-resilient livelihoods, women and local producers becoming more active economic agents, and local institutions increasingly able to coordinate and sustain interventions.

The discussion drew on a growing body of results from the ZJP. Under its food systems pillar, the programme has trained 471 farmers in climate-smart agriculture and banana production, trained 158 farmers in seaweed and sea cucumber production, and supported 26 farmer groups and four cooperatives. Under the climate pillar, it has constructed six rainwater harvesting systems reaching around 22,000 people, advanced gender-responsive land-use planning reaching 10,963 community members, and trained 100 Community Health Workers and District Nutrition Officers, reaching 1,772 caregivers. Under the protection pillar, large-scale community outreach has reached 53,676 people, while four multisectoral District Child Protection Plans have been completed.

Participants also discussed practical ways to improve coordination so that support is more joined up across institutions and levels of implementation. This includes making better use of existing Government mechanisms, improving collaboration across sectors, and ensuring that today’s investments help build stronger national systems for the future.

The meeting reaffirmed a shared commitment to supporting locally led solutions that improve livelihoods, strengthen resilience and expand opportunity for the people of Zanzibar, especially women and young people in northern Unguja and Pemba.