One Village One Product (OVOP) Programme is a community centered and demand driven regional economic development approach initiated by Oita prefecture in Japan in the 1970's.

The uniqueness of the approach is that at that time people in Oita intended to achieve their regional economic development through adding value to locally available resources, through processing, quality control, packaging design and marketing promotion.

Since the 1990s, there have been a series of visits to Oita by various Malawi Government officials and some reciprocal visits to Malawi by various OVOP delegations from Japan with the support of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Those interactions have generated a lot of expectations in Malawi for OVOP as an approach for economic development.

The OVOP programme in Malawi was officially launched in November 2003, this was followed by the establishment of the OVOP National Secretariat. Currently, the Secretariat is taking a leading role to facilitate economic development through the OVOP concept within the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Programme is under the Chairmanship of the Head of state, His Excellency Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika following his initiative of Malawi Economic Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS).

An empowered community generating wealth.

To generate incomes and wealth for the Malawian society by community mobilization to produce value added goods and services that are marketable in order to reduce wealth disparities.

To develop goods and services through value adding by communities using locally available resources in designated area.

To promote OVOP concept approach of economic development at community level.

To promote value adding technologies such as agro-processing and craft making at community level.

To facilitate product quality control and packaging.

To facilitate small-scale business skills development at community level.

To promote market linkages between producing communities and domestic/international markets.

Transparency and accountability

Continuous learning and innovation

Teamwork

Leadership

Gender balance and equity

Sustainability

On-going projects around the country are recognized as Self-Financing OVOP Projects for seeking further assistance as follows;

Chikunkhiro Vegetable Growers Association (Bunda, Lilongwe)
Vegetable Growing

Gotani Timber Group (Mzuzu): Timber