Beng`i Issa

Bengi Mazana Issa is a strategic management and women’s economic empowerment specialist with over 30 years of professional experience designing and implementing financial inclusion programmes, regulatory frameworks, and institutional development initiatives. Her Master’s degree in Financial Management (Glasgow Caledonian University) and CPA-T certification provide strong technical foundation. Her career reflects deep commitment to economic inclusion and institutional strengthening. 

Mrs Issa currently serves as Special Seats Member of Parliament in Tanzania’s 13th Parliament (took oath 3 February 2026), providing crucial parliamentary oversight and advocacy for agricultural development and rural economic inclusion. Her parliamentary platform significantly strengthens AGCOT’s engagement with legislative processes affecting agricultural policy, farmer protection frameworks, and gender-inclusive growth strategies. Her presence ensures farmer voices and community interests are represented in national policy discussions. 

She holds multiple executive positions: Executive Secretary, National Economic Empowerment Council (NEEC); Chair, Tanzania Entrepreneurship Competitiveness Centre (TECC); Chair, Legal Services Facility (LSF); Chair, Local Government Loan Board (LGLB). She is Vice Chair, Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) and board member, Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange and UNCDF. These positions position her centrally within Tanzania’s institutional landscape. 

Her professional career demonstrates exceptional expertise in designing systemic interventions integrating marginalised populations—particularly women and youth—into formal economic structures. As Chairperson of Tanzania Women’s Bank (TWB) and through roles at CARE International and Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS), she developed deep mastery in financial inclusion instruments and secure land tenure frameworks. 

On AGCOT’s board, Mrs Issa ensures corridor expansion prioritises social equity, gender inclusion, and community protection. Given that smallholder farmers produce 80% of Tanzania’s food supplies—predominantly led by women—her expertise in financial service access is critical. Her parliamentary seat and institutional positions provide unparalleled advocacy capacity for farmer-centred, gender-inclusive policy development, ensuring AGCOT’s expansion strengthens vulnerable farming communities.