Africa-Press – Tanzania. IBAR youth’s vocational skills are set for a major boost under the envisaged 50 million US dollar (over 117bn/-) African Development Bank (AfDB) funded project.
The continental financial institution, subject to the board of directors’ approval, intends to finance the ambitious Skills Development and Youth Employment in the Blue Economy project in the islands.
AfDB Executive Director for Eastern Africa Constituency Cheptoo Kipronoh said here on Wednesday evening that the bank is ready to release the fund as soon as the recipient submits all the required documents.
Minister of State in the President’s Office, Finance and Planning Jamal Kassim Ali said the funding has come at an opportune time, assuring that the government will work hard on the documentation aspect to secure the money.
He said the government is determined to boost technical and vocational training in the country to equip youth with appropriate skills to work in the blue economy and other emerging sectors.
“The (AfDB-funded) project will transform Zanzibar youth and enable them to work skillfully not only in Zanzibar but also outside the country,” said the minister, hinting that the government target is to increase the percentage of skillful youth to 10 per cent from less than one per cent, currently.
Education and Vocational Training Minister Simai Mohamed Said welcomed the project, which he said is within the country’s development strategy and ruling party’s (CCM) 2020-2025 election manifesto, which among others pledged 300,000 jobs for the islanders.
The visiting CEO said as a result of her perfect project execution, Tanzania is the third country in the list of top recipients of AfDB funding, “Tanzania receives more funds because it performs excellently in project execution; the better the performance the more the funding, is the bank’s policy.”
Mr Kipronoh whose jurisdiction spans over nine countries—Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia and South Soudan—was speaking at an evening meeting with Ministers Jamal and Simai as well as other government executives. Finance minister had hosted the meeting in his Vuga-based office.
Earlier in the morning, Mr Kipronoh visited some AfDB funded projects, including the Makunduchi Vocational training centre and some roads, describing the project execution as superb.
“We are quite impressed by the quality of work,” the visiting CEO acknowledged after visiting the projects.
Accompanying the bank’s regional chief were his Senior Advisor Jonathan Nzayikorera, acting Officer-In-Charge—Tanzania Office Jacob Odour and Senior Economist from the Ministry of Finance and Planning Said Nyenge.
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