Do not undo the gains: Why TZ must safeguard its hard-won progress

DAR ES SALAAM: NATIONS are not built in a moment. They are shaped over time through discipline, sacrifice and deliberate choices. Roads are laid incrementally.

Institutions are strengthened step by step. Social services expand gradually until their benefits become embedded in everyday life. Tanzania’s development story reflects precisely this kind of steady accumulation.

The progress visible today in infrastructure, public services and economic resilience, is the result of sustained effort over decades.

To place these gains at risk through instability or division would not only be shortsighted, but profoundly costly.

Over the past two decades, Tanzania has maintained relatively strong and consistent economic growth.

According to the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), growth has averaged between 6 and 7 per cent, placing the country among the more resilient economies in sub-Saharan Africa.

While global shocks, including the Covid-19 pandemic, tempered performance, Tanzania avoided contraction and preserved positive momentum. Recent projections suggest that trajectory is continuing.

Growth was projected to recover to around 6 per cent in 2025, supported by infrastructure investment, improved business conditions and ongoing structural reforms.

Such consistency has provided a foundation for expanding public services and financing longterm development priorities.

Tanzania’s growth trajectory is not abstract. It is visible in the transformation of the country’s physical and social landscape. Infrastructure development has been central to this progress.

Guided by national frameworks such as the Third Five-Year Development Plan, Tanzania has prioritised largescale investment in transport, energy and water systems.

Government development expenditure has averaged between 13tri/- and 15tri/- annually in recent budgets, according to the Ministry of Finance Tanzania, reflecting a sustained commitment to building the backbone of the economy. The results are increasingly evident.

Expanded road networks have improved connectivity between regions, reducing travel times and facilitating trade.

Rail investments are reshaping freight movement, while improvements in rural access roads are linking communities to markets, schools and healthcare facilities.

In the energy sector, progress has been equally significant. Data from the World Bank and the Rural Energy Agency Tanzania shows that electricity access has risen dramatically over the past decade, from below 20 per cent to nearly half the population.

This expansion is not merely technical; it is transformative. It enables businesses to operate more efficiently, extends productive hours and supports essential services such as health and education.

The economic impact of these investments is reflected in national output. According to the National Bureau of Statistics Tanzania, the construction sector alone contributed more than 5.9tri/- to the GDP in 2025, underlining the central role infrastructure plays in driving growth and employment.

Alongside physical infrastructure, Tanzania has made steady gains in social development. Public investment in education has remained broadly consistent at around 3 to 4 per cent of the GDP, in line with data from UNESCO and the World Bank.

Policies such as fee-free basic education have expanded access, enabling millions more children to attend school.

These efforts are reflected in improved literacy levels, which now stand at above 80 per cent. While challenges in quality and equity remain, the long-term trajectory points to a more educated and capable workforce, an essential ingredient for sustained economic transformation.

In the health sector, progress has been gradual but meaningful.

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Government spending accounts for approximately 5 to 7 per cent of total public expenditure, according to the World Health Organisation.

Though still below international benchmarks, these investments have supported improvements in service delivery, particularly in maternal and child health and expanded access to basic care.

Water supply and sanitation have also improved, with expanded access to clean water reported by agencies including UNICEF. These developments, while often less visible than large infrastructure projects, are critical to public health and quality of life.

Taken together, these trends illustrate a broader pattern. Tanzania has been steadily laying the foundations of a modern, inclusive economy. Growth has enabled investment. Investment has expanded services. Improved services have strengthened human capital.

The result is a reinforcing cycle of development. This progress, however, is neither inevitable nor irreversible. Experience from elsewhere shows how quickly gains can be undone.

Economic instability discourages investment. Infrastructure projects stall. Public resources are diverted from development priorities to crisis management.

Social services come under strain, often affecting the most vulnerable first. The consequences extend beyond economics. Social cohesion can fray. Trust in institutions may erode. Recovery, once disruption takes hold, is rarely swift.

For Tanzania, a country long defined by its relative stability and unity, such risks carry particular weight.

Development frameworks, including Vision 2025 and emerging long-term strategies, are built on the assumption of continuity, of steady progress underpinned by peace and institutional stability.

The relationship between stability and development is direct. Growth depends on confidence. Investment requires predictability. Long-term planning relies on continuity.

Without these conditions, even well-designed policies struggle to deliver results. Safeguarding unity and stability is, therefore, not simply a political concern; it is an economic imperative.

It is about protecting what has already been achieved and ensuring that progress can continue.

For ordinary Tanzanians, these gains are tangible. They are seen in shorter journeys made possible by improved roads, in access to electricity that powers homes and businesses, in expanded schooling opportunities and in improved healthcare services.

These are not abstract indicators, they are lived realities. To undermine them would be to risk reversing years of incremental progress.

At the same time, protecting development gains does not require suppressing debate or avoiding criticism.

On the contrary, it depends on constructive engagement on strengthening institutions, upholding accountability and fostering a culture of dialogue grounded in mutual respect.

Development is, ultimately, a collective endeavour. It is shaped not only by policy, but by the actions of citizens, businesses and communities. Preserving it therefore requires shared responsibility.

Tanzania’s history suggests that such responsibility is possible. The country has navigated periods of challenge while maintaining stability and continuing to pursue development goals.

That experience provides a foundation for addressing the uncertainties of the present.

The question is not whether Tanzania has made progress. The evidence is clear that it has. The question is whether that progress will be protected.

What is at stake is more than economic performance. It is the steady improvement of lives, the expansion of opportunity and the promise of a more secure and prosperous future.

These gains have been hard-won. They should not be taken for granted. The path forward is equally clear: To safeguard stability, to strengthen institutions and to build on what has already been achieved.

In doing so, Tanzania can ensure that its progress is not only preserved, but accelerated, delivering even greater benefits for generations to come.