DAR ES SALAAM: The Deputy Minister of Transport Mr David Kihenzile, has directed, Rector of the National Institute of Transport (NIT) Dr. Prosper Mgaya, to implement strategies for increasing number of experts in the transport sector.
This initiative comes in response to significant government projects, such as the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the aviation sector, aimed at reducing the reliance on foreign experts once these projects are completed.
Mr Kihenzile made these remarks on Monday during his visit to the institute, where he inspected the progress of the construction projects, including hostels set to accommodate 1,502 students upon completion.
“Currently the Institute is having 16,000 students, we must emphasize on having more programmes that will supports our transport sector, that will align to the government’s substantial investments to avoid depending more on foreign experts ,” he emphasized.
He also instructed Dr. Mgaya to ensure the timely completion of ongoing construction projects at the institute, which are projected to cost 21bn/-.
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He stressed that the projects must meet high standards and be completed by November 2024 to address the accommodation challenges faced by new students.
“We must closely monitor these projects to minimize delays. The government led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan is releasing significant funds to improve the education sector, and it is crucial that we deliver these projects on time,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction with engineers’ explanations for the delay of the project, noting that the project is 85 per cent complete, attributing delays to El Niño rains.
On his part Rector of the National Institute of Transport (NIT), Dr. Prosper Mgaya, highlighted that the project includes construction of five buildings, two of which are hostels, and three buildings designated as the Centre of Excellence.
He said the initiative, supported by President Samia, aims to establish aviation training at NIT, including piloting courses.
He also added that the institute plans to start offering piloting training after the government acquires two aircraft for training purposes.
