UN: Link tech, agriculture to drive vision 2050

DAR ES SALAAM: ASTRONG linkage between manufacturing, digital technology and other key economic sectors especially agriculture and the blue economy is vital to accelerating economic growth, as Tanzania’s population is projected to reach 100 million within the next 10 years.

The envisaged robust integration is expected to enhance productivity, add value across sectors, and unlock the country’s export potential in lucrative markets such as the European Union (EU).

UN Technology Bank’s Managing Director, Mr Deodat Maharaj, shared a set of strategic priorities for the country to achieve its industrialisation targets under the upcoming National Development Vision 2050, especially in light of rising population.

“For Africa as the continent and for Tanzania, you can’t grow the rate you need to grow and still really satisfy the needs of people unless you do something differently,” he told Daily News in an interview recently at the sideline of launching Tanzania’s Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) report: “You need industrialisation to leverage in first instance existing strong sectors, so add value to agriculture.” The Director projected that the country’s population, currently over 60 million, is expected to reach 100 million in the next 10 to 15 years.

This growth will put increasing pressure on already limited resources and calls for the use of low-cost, high-impact technologies and expanded manufacturing to boost productivity and value addition.

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“Therefore, you have bigger population, more people to feed and to be educated, provide healthcare,” he said.

He underscored that manufacturing, as a key driver of value addition, can enable Tanzania to access high-value international markets, including the EU.

“Value addition creates more jobs and opportunities unlike the trade of raw products,” Mr Maharaj said.

To support the widespread establishment of factories across the country, he advised the government to leverage its growing population, educational base, and strong sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and the blue economy.

To start-ups, he offered a message of encouragement: “Start small, stay focused, deliver results, skill up and replicate.” The report calls for replacing traditional agricultural and blue economy practices—often reliant on rudimentary tools with climate-smart technologies.

These include mobile applications to connect farmers with markets, drones, climate forecasting tools, remote sensing, augmented reality, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reduce post-harvest losses and increase yields.

“We have to find a way of applying digital technology to existing sectors. So, the new sectors will be created eventually we have to improve what exists now,” Mr Maharaj said.

The UN also stressed the need for low-cost, high-impact technologies to enhance marine resources, including improving seaweed farming efficiency. Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coastline stretches over 1,400 kilometres.

On fisheries, he noted that the TNA proposes technologies that could halve the maturation time of tilapia cultivated through aquaculture from six months to just three.

This advancement would help boost food supply and trade, while expanding related economic opportunities. Zanzibar’s Minister for Blue Economy and Fisheries, Mr Shaaban Ali Othman, said the report aligns with national priorities under both the upcoming National Development Vision and the Zanzibar Development Vision 2050, which emphasise science and technology for enhancing production and creating decent jobs.

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“TNA is not the end but the beginning where science and technology are central pillars of our development journey. It is another step forward for modernising the blue economy and agriculture,” Mr Othman said.

He added that agriculture employs over 65 per cent of the workforce, contributes about 30 per cent of GDP, generates 25 per cent of foreign currency earnings, and supplies over 60 per cent of raw materials.

The findings are in line with Tanzania’s 10/30 agenda, which targets a 10 per cent annual growth rate for agribusiness by 2030.

The report also addresses capability gaps across fisheries, aquaculture, marine resources including seaweed farming and the need for skills development among coastal communities to modernise production.

And, was prepared by the Tanzania Deep Fishing Authority (TDFA), the International Seabed Authority (ISA), and the United Nations Technology Bank.

Mr Othman said that the report forms a foundation for long-term collaboration between the UN Technology Bank and the government to harness identified needs and opportunities. UN Resident Coordinator ad interim, Mr Shigeki Komatsubara, said the TNA aligns with global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 9 on Innovation, Industry, and Infrastructure.

In that regard, he pledged UN support to implement the recommendations through strategic partnerships, including capacity building for local communities to practice smart climate agriculture.