DODOMA: Tanzania is among the more than 160 countries confirmed to participate in Expo 2025, scheduled to take place in Osaka, Japan, starting this month, with a focus on trade, investment, and tourism.
The Minister for Industry and Trade, Dr Selemani Jafo, briefed reporters in Dodoma on Tuesday, stating that Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa will be the official guest during Tanzania National Day, which will be marked on May 25, 2025.
The event, which starts April 12 to October 13, this year, is expected to attract over 28.2 million visitors from around the world, will be held under the theme: “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” Tanzania’s participation will align with the sub-theme: “Connecting Lives.”
According to the Trade Minister, the country will leverage the six-month event, which begins on April 12, to connect local production to global markets, promote investment through joint ventures, enhance communication between people, products, and technology, stimulate infrastructure development, and boost tourism.
“Tanzania aims to use the Expo as a platform to promote market opportunities for its products, attract investment and tourists, showcase its traditions, customs, and culture, strengthen diplomatic, economic, and political relations, brand the nation globally, and learn about business, technology, and innovation trends,” said Dr Jafo.
Elaborating further, the Minister added that Tanzania’s participation in the global trade fair will also focus on promoting opportunities in sectors such as health, energy, minerals, tourism, agriculture, the blue economy, arts and culture, investment, and trade. The government also aims to showcase strategic infrastructure projects in roads, railways, airports, ports, electricity, gas, and the blue economy.
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Tanzania expects to send more than 500 participants from various sectors. So far, 170 have already registered for Expo 2025 in Osaka. Minister Jaffo encouraged more stakeholders to register through the official portal: https://tradefair.tantrade.go.tz/expo2025/expo_registration.
Dr Jafo added that Tanzania is poised to reap significant benefits from the event, which is expected to enhance market intelligence and data for improved trade strategies, boost national economic growth through partnerships in strategic projects, create jobs, and facilitate the signing of trade and investment contracts.
Tanzania’s participation in Expo 2025 is coordinated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Mainland), in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industrial Development (Zanzibar), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, and TANTRADE—under the mandate given by Act No. 4 of 2009, amended in 2023.
“Tanzania National Day is one of the major events during the Expo, where the country will showcase trade and investment opportunities, tourist attractions, and cultural heritage. “Participation is by special invitation,” Dr Jafo told reporters.
Tanzania was also among the 192 countries that took part in Expo 2020 Dubai, held from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. That participation enabled Tanzanian companies to showcase their products, services, and investment opportunities to 928,469 visitors at a Tanzania’s pavilion.
Notable achievements, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, included the signing of 36 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth USD 8 billion (equivalent to TSh 18.5 trillion), which are expected to generate around 214,575 jobs across sectors such as transport, mining, ports, industry, energy, agriculture, tourism, technology, and health.
Tanzania has since developed an implementation strategy for these MoUs in collaboration with various institutions and the private sector. The government also enforces all laws protecting local investors, including ensuring that Tanzanians retain at least 30 percent ownership in any given investment.
