History

Fiji is going through an era where the Households, the Vanua, the Church and the Government are challenged with the
escalating increases in socioeconomic issues bombarding society.
The current increase in drugs cases is intensely serious, with its implications manifested amongst Fiji’s youths. This
has somehow created panic at all levels of our social, economic and religious structure challenging the very core of our
beliefs and our faith and, the nagging question arising out of it all, as to how we can address the problems.
The Navuso Agricultural Technical Institute has embraced these challenges and taken on the resolution to train youths
as young farmers with the vision for them to be solutions to Fiji’s youth crisis through its focused agricultural programs.
There is tremendous Government interest shown towards the Institute’s program through its grant and direct support on
high level collaboration to increase our intake numbers with full financial support to drive and expand NATI’s program.
The new financial year 20204/2025 started on a high note, while spirits were a little dampened by the unexpected fire
that totally destroyed the brain and heart of the institute. The fire which torched our office complex and two classrooms
happened on April 7th, 2024.
In the next five years, the Navuso Agricultural Technical Institute will continue to focus its programs in the empowerment
of young men and women to become successful entrepreneurs through the use of our natural resources. The training of
Future Replacement Farmers and later commercial farmers for Fiji is the core of what is being delivered at the Institute.
NATI’s intent is to create change in the rural communities with graduates taking a lead role in driving agriculture
development at the community level.
The current scenario in the employment sector had totally changed, where a high number of people both qualified
and unqualified are joining the Pacific Labour Mobility Scheme (PLMS). The implication of high migration through
the program had drastically affected both the skilled and unskilled labour category. The Navuso Agricultural Technical
Institute therefore has a specific obligation as a Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) Institute to narrow the
existing socioeconomic gap in the Fijian economy through its program.
Navuso Agricultural Technical Institute’s approach will be strategically different from the existing Fiji National University
and the University of the South Pacific where the focus is more academic in nature. The course offered is highly practical
in nature where the students will graduate to become agri-business entrepreneurs. The course will also ensure graduates
are not only targeting profitability but also mindful of cross cutting issues like natural resources sustainability, climate
change mitigation, poverty alleviation, women in agriculture, food and nutrition security and others.
The program for 2024/2025 had looked at options for diversification/expansion and will continue to explore those
options by introducing changes gradually. The strategic priority areas, Outcomes, specific outputs and key performance
indicators identified in the business plan is broad in its coverage, once implemented accordingly should create the
necessary impact not only to students but to the Institute as a whole.
The Institute continued to evaluate and appraise the performance of our work force and the outcome of the program
towards our students. Although we continue to face challenges there satisfying success stories regarding some of our
graduates that are creating their own stories in their respective communities.