Tanzania sees fortunes in transport sector after generating 2.7bn US dollars, or 15.6 percent of the country’s exports

ARUSHA: Tanzania’s transport sector generated 2.7bn US dollars in 2025, accounting for 15.6 percent of the country’s exports, with the value rising from approximately 2.2bn US dollars in 2024.

The Deputy Minister for Transport David Kihenzile made the remarks in Arusha while representing the Minister for Transport, Professor Makame Mbarawa, at the Eighth Africa Conference on Operations and Supply Chain Management (ACOSCM 2026), which is being held over two days.

Kihenzile said the figures demonstrate that transport is not merely a sector that supports the economy, but a critical pillar of Tanzania’s economy and that of Africa as a whole.

He said the sector plays a key role in connecting producers with markets, facilitating trade and driving the growth of economic activities.

Kihenzile said the government has continued to invest in transport infrastructure, including railways, ports, maritime transport and aviation, with the aim of improving the efficiency of transporting people and goods and strengthening Tanzania’s economic competitiveness.

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“As we prepare for the National Development Vision 2050, the government is focused on strengthening transport, aviation and economic transformation driven by the transport sector,” Kihenzile said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Mzumbe University, Professor Hawa Tundui, called on African researchers to ensure that research conducted by universities is translated into solutions to real-world challenges facing businesses, governments and communities, rather than remaining confined to academic publications.

She said universities should continue to assess what they teach, how they teach and the technologies they use to ensure that graduates acquire skills that match the needs of an evolving labour market.