WORLD GOVERNMENTS SUMMIT: Samia spurs investments

DUBAI: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan said at the World Government Summit (WGS) yesterday that Tanzania is committed to linking all of its ports, including the Dar es Salaam Port, through an integrated rail network.

This initiative aims to boost regional trade and attract greater investment opportunities.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, President Samia said the government’s plan to interlink the Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara ports through modern infrastructure, including railways, is progressing steadily to create a more enabling environment for investors.

She added that the government also plans to connect ports on Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa to further facilitate regional economic integration.

“We are trying to connect these ports to other parts of Tanzania by railway so that we can transport goods arriving in Tanzania to neighbouring countries more efficiently,” President Samia said.

She reminded investment stakeholders that Tanzania has continued to invest heavily in major infrastructure projects, including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), which will stretch about 2,100 kilometres from Dar es Salaam to Burundi and later link to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“We think this is a major route that can be used from Dar es Salaam Port to anywhere in the region,” she said, noting that Tanzania borders eight countries and that railways and roads are at the centre of the country’s connectivity plans.

President Samia credited the implementation of large-scale economic infrastructure projects to financial support from development partners such as the African Development Bank Group, the World Bank, the OPEC Fund, the Abu Dhabi Fund and the Abu Dhabi Export Fund (ADEX).

On legal and policy reforms, she said the government has undertaken significant changes in policies, laws and regulations to make them more predictable and attractive to investors.

“In principle, the basic infrastructure for investment growth is already laid in Tanzania,” she emphasised.

Meanwhile, speaking at the launch of the Global Africa Investment Summit (GAIS) held on the sidelines of the WGS on Monday evening, President Samia underscored the importance of trust, policy consistency, strong institutions and governments that honour their commitments in attracting investors to African countries.

The GAIS marked a new chapter for Africa in mobilising global capital through well-structured and financially viable investments.

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She explained that Tanzania has made strategic investments in energy, railways, ports and transport infrastructure, alongside the establishment of Special Investment Zones and a One-Stop Investment Centre aimed at creating a conducive environment for long-term investors.

Dr Samia also reaffirmed Tanzania’s readiness to engage GAIS as a credible, long-term investment partner.

“What investors seek today is not only opportunity, but trust – trust in institutions, policy consistency, and governments that honour commitments.

President Samia highlighted Tanzania’s deliberate investments in backbone infrastructure – energy, transport, and logistics – to unlock productivity, industrialisation, and regional integration.

Flagship projects in hydropower, modern rail, ports, and roads, alongside Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and a One-Stop Investment Facilitation Centre, have reduced friction for investors and strengthened confidence.

She noted that platforms such as GAIS enable Africa, and Tanzania in particular, to move from fragmented project promotion to structured collaboration, aligned with national development priorities and investor expectations.

GAIS is positioned as market infrastructure, not a conference, designed to convert Africa’s sovereign and public assets into bankable, derisked portfolios that meet global standards for governance, risk management, and returns.

Speaking at the launch, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of GAIS and former President of the African Development Bank, said: “The problem is not a lack of assets, but the absence of trusted structures that connect those assets to global capital.”

He noted that Africa’s strategic assets in energy, minerals, infrastructure, and natural capital remain undervalued due to weak structuring, poor data, fragmented governance, and high due-diligence costs.

Tanzania’s participation in GAIS reflects the country’s commitment to engaging in well-planned partnerships that align with national development priorities and the expectations of international investors.

The summit seeks to align political leadership, national resources and global capital, positioning Africa and Tanzania in particular as a hub for impact-driven investment that generates employment and sustainable development.

Earlier on Monday, President Samia launched a robust diplomatic engagement at the 13th World Governments Summit by holding two high-level bilateral meetings aimed at strengthening Tanzania’s strategic partnerships and advancing economic diplomacy.

The discussions focused on expanding international cooperation in line with Tanzania’s development priorities, particularly under the national Vision 2050 agenda.