Dr Tabitha Nindi-Chigwe
Senior Research Fellow
tnindi@must.ac.mw
Name: Tabitha C. Nindi-Chigwe
Senior Research Fellow
Directorate of Research and Outreach
Contacts: tnindi@must.ac.mw
ninditabitha@gmail.com
Nationality: Malawian
Qualifications:
PhD Development Economics -Purdue University
PhD Development Economics -Purdue University
MSc Agricultural and Applied Economics -Mississippi State University
BSc Agricultural Economics -University of Malawi -Bunda
Research Position & Interests
Tabitha C. Nindi-Chigwe is a Senior Research Fellow (Development Economics) at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST and she has over 15 years of professional and academic experience in social and development research. She has extensive experience in econometric methods using observational data, running large Randomized Control Trials (RCTs), implementing experimental auctions, and developing mathematical programming models.
Tabitha C. Nindi-Chigwe is a Senior Research Fellow (Development Economics) at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST and she has over 15 years of professional and academic experience in social and development research. She has extensive experience in econometric methods using observational data, running large Randomized Control Trials (RCTs), implementing experimental auctions, and developing mathematical programming models.
Tabitha is passionate about agriculture and rural development and her current research interests include poverty and rural development, agricultural technology and innovations, agricultural marketing, food security and food safety, sustainable energy and climate change.
1. Homann-Kee Tui, Sabine, Sseguya, Haroon, Nindi Chigwe, Tabitha, Manda, Julius, Tufa, Adane, Liben, Feyera , Okoth, John Omondi, Kihara, Job. 2026. Diagnosing system readiness for responsible scaling through socio-technical innovation bundling: Evidence from Malawi’s maize-based mixed farming systems. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=6536782 or
2. Nyengere, Jabulani, Nindi Chigwe, Tabitha, Tholo, Harineck Mayamiko, Mvula, Richard Lizwe, Njala, Allena, Malula, Lucius and Kumpolota, Syvester et al. 2026. Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Granulated Urine Fertilizer in Malawi: Evidence from Incentive-Compatible Auctions and Information Interventions. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5845462 or
3. Jinwon Suh, Seongtae Ji, Tabitha C Nindi-Chigwe. 2025. Collective action under risk and uncertainty: assessing impacts on smallholder farmers' income and food security in Malawi. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1607329
4. Jabulani Nyengere, Tiwongwe Mzumara, Harineck Tholo, Allena Laura Njala, Chikondi Chisenga, Tabitha Nindi-Chigwe, et al. 2025. Beyond the bottle: factors affecting adoption of liquid urine fertilizer among smallholder farmers in Southern Malawi. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1736709
5. Nindi-Chigwe, Tabitha. 2024. Does location matter? A spatial analysis of the factors influencing adoption of cereal-legume intercropping among smallholder farming households in Malawi. International Food Policy Research Institute. Washington DC. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/155279
6. Jacob Ricker-Gilbert, David Mather, Mywish Maredia, Tabitha Nindi Chigwe, Emmanuel Mwakiwa. 2024. Recent Fertilizer Price Spikes in Sub-Saharan Africa: Policy Responses and Lessons for Sustainable Supply-Chains. International Association of Agricultural Economists. https://iaae.confex.com/iaae/icae32/meetingapp.cgi/Session/5067
7. Nindi-Chigwe, Tabitha, Jacob Ricker-Gilbert, Jonathan Bauchet. 2023. Identifying effective incentive mechanisms for smallholder farmers to exploit inter-seasonal price arbitrage opportunities for grain legumes: Experimental evidence from Malawi. American Journal for Agricultural Economists (AJAE). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajae.12376.
8. Nindi, Tabitha, Jacob Ricker-Gilbert, Jonathan Bauchet. 2023. Information and the trade-off between food safety and food security in rural markets: Experimental evidence from Malawi. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Volume 216, Pages 170-186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2023.10.022
9. Nindi, Tabitha, 2021. Understanding Factors that influence smallholder farmers’ adoption of Cereal-Legume Intercropping in Malawi? Evidence from Malawi. International Food Policy Research Institute. Washington DC https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134316
10. Nindi, Tabitha, Maluwa, Alfred. 2017. Understanding the Products and Services that the Industry in Malawi Needs: An Industrial Needs Assessment Study Approach, National Commission for Science and Technology Research Dissemination Conference proceedings, Malawi. https://www.ncst.mw/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/FINAL-BOOK-OF-ABSTRACTS.pdf
11. Nindi, Tabitha, and Tack, Jesse. 2015, The Effects of the Farm Input Subsidy Program on Maize: Identifying Maize Supply and Demand Elasticities in Malawi. MSc. Research Thesis, Mississippi State University. https://www.proquest.com/openview/d1e37e63378118d64b95a5d65e41ed6b/1/advanced
12. Wollenberg, E. K., Broeze, J. Nindi, T., Machinjiri, N., Liang, X., Matzembacher, D. 2019. Mitigating climate change through reduced food loss and waste. CLIFF-GRADS Webinar - Session 3: July 9. CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change and Food Security (CCAFS) and Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA): https://hdl.handle.net/10568/102230
Conference and Workshop Proceedings
1. ICAE 2024-August 2024, transforming food system Seminar Speaker, Session titled “ Recent Fertilizer Price Spikes in Sub-Saharan Africa: Policy Responses and Lessons for Sustainable Supply-Chains “ https://iaae.confex.com/iaae/icae32/meetingapp.cgi/Session/5067
2. ICAE 2021-Internation Association of Agricultural Economist virtual conference, Information and the tradeoff between food safety and food security amongst rural households. URL: https://www.academia.edu/download/95829268/6eaecea7-9180-41cb-8efe-6631c9958342.pdf
3. Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) virtual annual meeting 2020- Incentive Mechanism for smallholders’ farmers in Malawi. URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/304424/files/18658.pdf
4. Nindi Tabitha, Ricker gilbert and Bauchet, 2019. Incentive Design for smallholders in Malawi. Sixth International Conference, September 23-26, 2019, Abuja, Nigeria, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE). https://ideas.repec.org/cgi-bin/htsearch?ul=ags%2Faaae19&q=nindi; https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/aaae19/295698.html, DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.295698
5. Wollenberg, E. K., Broeze, J. Nindi, T., Machinjiri, N., Liang, X., Matzembacher, D. 2019. Mitigating climate change through reduced food loss and waste. CLIFF-GRADS Webinar - Session 3: July 9-15, 2019, Bali Indonesia. CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change and Food Security (CCAFS) and Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA): https://hdl.handle.net/10568/102230;
6. Nindi, Tabitha, Maluwa, Alfred. 2017. Understanding the Products and Services that the Industry in Malawi Needs: An Industrial Needs Assessment Study Approach, National Commission for Science and Technology Research Dissemination Conference proceedings, Malawi. URL: https://www.ncst.mw/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/FINAL-BOOK-OF-ABSTRACTS.pdf
7. Nindi Tabitha and Jumbe Charles, 2009. A comparative analysis of factor affecting cotton production as an alternative to tobacco amongst smallholder farmers: a case of Kasungu Chipala EPA, National Dissemination Conference Proceedings, 2012, Lilongwe Malawi. URL :https://www.ncst.mw/reports; https://scholar.google.com/scholar?oi=bibs&cluster=3848345863917392551&btnI=1&hl=en