Tanzania plans AI data centres
SEOUL: THE government plans to establish artificial intelligence (AI) data centres as the country prepares for wider use of the technology across key sectors of the economy, the Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Ms Angela Kairuki, has said.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) on the sidelines of the 2026 Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Ministerial Conference in Seoul, South Korea, Ms Kairuki said Tanzania was already assessing the infrastructure needed to support AI development.
“We already have clean electricity and sufficient access to water. These are among the key requirements for building data centres in the country. We are preparing to establish AI data centres so that we can be better prepared,” she said.
AI data centres forms part of broader efforts to prepare the country for the growing use of AI across key sectors of the economy, she said.
The Minister said the government was also seeking international partnerships to develop the infrastructure, skills and financing needed to support AI adoption.
The four-day conference, that began on Tuesday and ends today under the theme Harnessing AI and Digital Infrastructure for Africa’s Transformation, has brought together African and South Korean leaders to discuss technology, investment and digital development.
Ms Kairuki said discussions focused on expanding digital infrastructure, AI and the digital economy, including the application of emerging technologies in health, education, agriculture, mining, defence and public services.
“We want to be prepared for the use of AI and its various systems, as well as all the infrastructure required,” she said.
She said Tanzania also needed stronger technical capacity among government institutions, public-sector professionals and privatesector players to support effective AI adoption.
The minister said the government was engaging development partners and international financial institutions to support training and capacitybuilding programmes that would strengthen the country’s AI ecosystem.
She said cooperation with South Korea continued to support Tanzania’s wider digital transformation agenda, noting that about 2.5 million US dollars had been secured through the partnership, including funding for the establishment of a digital technology university at Nala in Dodoma.
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According to Ms Kairuki, the country’s digital agenda is aligned with the National Development Vision 2050, the Fourth Five-Year Development Plan and the 10-year Digital Economy Strategic Plan to 2034.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for bilateral meetings with Korean institutions and companies aimed at attracting investment and expanding economic cooperation.
He is expected to promote Tanzania as an investment destination while exploring opportunities for greater capital flows and technology transfer to support economic growth and job creation, particularly for young people.
The conference coincides with 20 years of Korea-Africa economic cooperation and provides a platform for discussions on investment, development financing, technological innovation and stronger economic ties.
South Korea pledged at the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit to double its official development assistance to Africa to 10 billion US dollars by 2030, alongside 14 billion US dollars in export financing to support Korean companies expanding trade and investment across the continent.
Ms Kairuki said the conference offered Tanzania an opportunity to link its digital transformation agenda with investment, technology transfer and development financing as the country prepares for an economy increasingly shaped by AI.
