Author: Giza Mdoe

Under a 1929 agreement, Egypt refused to acknowledge the rights of the other River Nile riparian countries. Almost a century later, Ethiopia is setting up the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, an initiative that is considered a security threat by Egypt. Currently, Ethiopia is undertaking the scheduled filling of the dam from the Nile waters. River Nile, the longest river in the world continues to be at the center of a long and winding conflict looping together eleven countries that bank on its waters to sustain their economies. For nearly a century, the Nile waters have remained at the heart of…

Tanzania increases construction of CNG filling stations. Chinese companies tendered for vehicle conversion for CNG use. Investors invited into the CNG sub-sector. Tanzania CNG sector is growing, with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) now the go-to clean energy that the country is investing in for public vehicle use as the government moves to significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels. To fast-track this development, the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) is currently completing the construction of a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) mother station in Dar es Salaam that is touted as a significant advancement in the country’s energy infrastructure.   The development has…

Activation of Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant (JNHPP) turbines increase output. Authorities say a national renovation of power infrastructure is underway. Minor outages persist in several regions due to ongoing maintenance. Tanzania electricity supply has seen a significant increase, with the country now enjoying surplus power output as the current generation capacity reaches 2,152 megawatts (MW), well above the total demand of 1,683MW. This increase in capacity is attributed to the activation of three turbines at the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant (JNHPP). That plant alone is projected to produce some 2,115 MW when fully operational. This remarkable turnaround comes less than a…

Across Africa, there is still very limited access to education. Even when accessible, there is a huge discrepancy in the quality of education offered. In a forum held in Tanzania, policymakers have urged governments to increase investment in education. Education in Africa is poorly funded. In one too many countries, poor funding of education systems is an understatement. The African Union, designated this year, 2024, as its ‘Year of Education,’ and as we enter the last quarter of the year, stakeholders are asking, what have we learned about education in Africa? The pros and cons of Africa’s education system were…

The EAC’s distribution sector is marred by systemic challenges, despite claims of a working free trade zone in the bloc. Stakeholders say that persistent bottlenecks hamper the flow of goods and services across the eight-member area. A recent EU-led EAC Peer-to-Peer Learning Conference sought to formulate a strategic action plan to address barriers limiting the industry’s growth and development. The East African Community (EAC) is an eight-country strong regional free trade bloc in East Africa, by definition, it should mean easier movement or distribution of goods and services, but that’s only true on paper, the reality on the ground is…

Inflation in Tanzania has gone down to 3%, lower than Kenya’s 4.3% and Uganda’s 4% posted in July. While economic experts commend the country’s monetary policy for managing inflation, economic woes facing the poor persist. Policymakers in Tanzania project to control inflation within the National Vision 2020-2025 target of 3.3 to 4.4%. Inflation in Tanzania has inched slightly lower to 3.0 percent, compared to 3.1 which was recorded in June, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported.  The NBS attributes this reduction to the country’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in controlling inflation. “What lower inflation means is that the cost…

Almost half of world’s population in 2050 will be African youth. However, unemployment, food insecurity remain a challenge to African youth. Political will and financing are the keys to African youth agribusiness development. As projections continue to show that the youth in Africa will make up half of the entire world in the two and a half decades (25yrs) alone, one wonders what will be the economic health of this half of the world? According to an Oxford Business Group report on agriculture as a business, experts review African youth as both a problem and a solution to global development,…

The Dar-Dodoma SGR cuts travel time by more than half the time. Two Presidents and one former President aboard the maiden trip. Fast speed SGR expected to boost regional economic activities. The launch of Tanzania’s SGR has ushered a new era across East Africa, where member countries are fast embracing electric train services to enhance transport and spur trade. This month, Tanzania became the latest of several other East African countries to invest in the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Zanzibar President Hussein Mwinyi as well as former President Jakaya Kikwete officiated the launch of the…

Tanzania e-waste is growing rapidly and Dar es Salaam is quickly becoming a major informal recycling site. The country’s predicament is reflected across East Africa due to exponential uptake of digital products, creating a scenario akin to Agbogbloshie, the infamous 20-acres e-waste dump in Accra, Ghana. Often referred to as a “digital dumping ground,” Agbogbloshie receives discarded electronics from various countries, including the United States and Europe. E-waste and scrap metal are notoriously polluting the environment around the world and the worst hit are third-world countries, and Africa is at the top of the list. Take for instance the infamous Agbogbloshie,…

Africa failing to meet the needed sustainable agriculture practices Adoption of sustainable agricultural practices remains low across the continent Digital development key to agro-development in Africa Food inflation in Africa Food inflation in Africa is worsening by the day, with the World Bank reporting that 5 of the World’s top 10 countries with the highest real food inflation rates are African countries. The World Bank’s May 2024 “Food Security Update” highlights sustainable agriculture importance to Africa’s agri-food systems. “The tenets of sustainable agriculture entail reconciling environmental and social equity with economic development in order to provide for the present without…