Africa-Press – Tanzania. ANALYSTS are optimistic that the newly established ministry dedicated to youth development will enhance inclusion across all youth groups and promote the use of science and technology to unlock young people’s potential.
They also emphasise the need for stronger collaboration with the private sector to drive meaningful development for young people and the nation at large.
Speaking on Tuesday in Dodoma, Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Adolf Mkenda, welcomed President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s decision to establish a dedicated Ministry of Youth Development, describing it as a strategic step towards addressing the diverse needs of young Tanzanians.
He affirmed that the education sector remains central to equipping youth with employable skills. In a telephone interview with the Daily News, Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce (TWCC) representative Dr Mwajuma Hamza commended the government for creating the ministry, describing it as timely and long overdue.
“This is the right moment to invest in young people, considering that census data shows Tanzania has a large youthful population. The ministry has the potential to significantly redirect the development path of young people,” Dr Hamza said.
She underscored the need for inclusive youth policies to support both self-employment and formal jobs. She urged the identification of diverse youth needs and the collection of reliable data to guide targeted interventions across sectors such as agriculture, recent graduates and informal workers.
To further support young entrepreneurs, she proposed establishing a Youth Investment Fund for those with viable business ideas, enabling them to create employment for themselves and their peers.
Dr Hamza also highlighted the importance of private-sector collaboration to enhance skills development and broaden access to economic opportunities.
She advocated the establishment of innovation hubs in every region to foster creativity and patriotism among youth, encouraging their contribution to national growth and peace. On patriotism, she said it extends beyond nationalism, noting that many young people are unaware of their duty to build and protect the nation’s economy and stability for their own future and that of the next generation.
Dr Hamza further urged the ministry to ensure gender equality by providing equal opportunities for young men and women through inclusive policies. She added that the ministry’s presence would promote broader inclusion, ensuring youth representation in key decision-making spaces and amplifying their voices.
“Voices of young people are often missing in many areas. With this ministry, we believe their ideas and concerns will be heard and acted upon,” she said.
Meanwhile, financial and economic expert and former President of the University of Dar es Salaam Students’ Organisation (DARUSO), Paulo Lucumay, said expectations are high regarding the ministry’s performance and its engagement with different youth groups.
“If possible, platforms should be created to allow young people to freely share their ideas, which should then be listened to and acted upon,” he said.
Mr Lucumay stressed the need to prioritise science and technology, including supporting start-ups by easing taxation and formalisation processes, to help young people actively participate in driving digital economic transformation.
He also called for greater investment in primary education to equip children with essential technological skills from an early age.
“When young people start learning computer skills and programming at lower levels of education, they will be capable of achieving major innovations as they progress,” he noted.
He added that the ministry must avoid focusing solely on urban youth and instead extend support to rural communities to ensure no group is left behind. Understanding youth needs at the grassroots level, he said, is essential for providing solutions that enable them to thrive and contribute to national development.
Mr Lucumay also underscored the importance of empowering young people in agriculture by changing the mindset that farming is drudgery, instead presenting it as a viable economic opportunity.
For his part, financial analyst and Daily News columnist Kelvin Msangi described Tanzania’s youth as a national treasure whose potential must be nurtured with care and strategic foresight.
He said that by combining policy vision, practical programme design and community engagement, leaders can create a framework in which youthful energy translates into entrepreneurship, employment, civic participation and social cohesion.
“The dual responsibility is clear: Youth must take initiative, but leaders and influencers must provide the structures, resources and guidance to ensure that ambition leads to opportunity rather than risk,” Mr Msangi said. “By doing so, Tanzania can transform a demographic challenge into a historic opportunity, securing both the future of its young citizens and the long-term prosperity of the nation,” he added.
Source: Daily News – Tanzania Standard Newspapers
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