COMMISSIONER for the Mining Commission, Janet Lekashingo has said the Kabanga Nickel project which produces battery-grade nickel, copper and cobalt is a game changer in Tanzania’s mining sector.
“Tembo Nickel, Kabanga Nickel Project, is crucial for country, as we are now embarking on execution to mine strategic minerals… and this one will certainly be a game changer,” she said during her recent visit to the Kabanga Nickel Project in Ngara District, Kagera Region.
She congratulated Tembo Nickel’s move to conduct skills mapping to find out the available skills in Ngara District and to implement the Young Graduate Programme.
Employment that projects offer is a licence to operate, just as good community relations. The graduate programme is an excellent addition, she added.
She said the programme is a great way to create manpower for the nation.
“After their internship, Tembo gets to access and absorb whom they need and others will be useful in other projects. If a graduate works in the mining department and practices what he studied even for one year, after the contract he will either be your contractor or he will go to do something in Tanzania, because this is a great learning opportunity, which is excellent,” she stressed.
Tembo Nickel Occupational Health and Safety Manager, Dk Kudra Said, told the Commissioner that the company had already conducted two skills mapping surveys for Ngara District and designed a training programme through the Tembo Nickel Training Centre.
“It is imperative that we build and get the right skills to operate our refinery and operations. We will be working with partners to develop local skills,” he said.
He also said the Tembo Nickel Young Talent Programme was inaugurated this year, and now had 12 graduates on board, 7,143 candidates applied for the programme.
