He said the US would seek to reach an agreement for the funds owed to the multilateral donors, which include the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment and the International Development Association.
Partner organizations of the project include the World Assembly of Youth, two UNESCO Chairs, Laval University, the International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment.
Kenya's Equity Bank has formed an alliance with groups such as The International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment to reduce its risks when lending to smallholders.
Mr Engida, of Ethiopia, has had a distinguished international career in auditing and financial management for prominent international companies and also worked for the International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment (IFAD) as Assistant Comptroller.