TZ seeks Japanese expertise
TOKYO: TANZANIA is seeking investment, technology and industrial expertise from Japan to drive Dira 2050 and to attain a one trillion-dollar economy.
Minister of State in the President’s Office Planning and Investment, Prof Kitila Mkumbo, made the call during a series of high-level meetings with Japanese government leaders in Tokyo yesterday, where he pitched opportunities in manufacturing, infrastructure, critical minerals and tourism.
“We therefore encourage Japanese companies to establish production facilities in Tanzania and use the country as a gateway to the wider African market,” Prof Mkumbo said, adding that the country wants local firms to become suppliers and partners in Japanese-led value chains.
The minister met officials from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and members of the Japan–African Union Inter-Parliamentary Friendship League as part of efforts to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries.
Prof Mkumbo said the country has entered a new phase of development under Vision 2050 and the Fourth Five-Year Development Plan (2026/27–2030/31), which seeks to build a high-income, industrialised and globally competitive economy driven by productivity, innovation and inclusive prosperity.
He described Japan as a particularly important partner, saying the two economies complement each other. “Japan brings advanced technology, industrial expertise, innovation and global value-chain capabilities, while Tanzania offers natural resources, a growing market, strategic geography and access to the EAC, SADC and AfCFTA markets,” he said.
Prof Mkumbo identified automotive manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, agroprocessing, energy, infrastructure, tourism and critical minerals as priority sectors for Japanese investment.
He said the government wants investment that creates jobs, develops skills, transfers technology and strengthens local enterprises rather than simply increasing trade.
In the automotive sector, he invited Japanese firms to invest in vehicle assembly, agricultural machinery, spare parts, batteries and electric mobility while helping build a local supplier network.
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He also highlighted the Bagamoyo Pharmaceutical Special Economic Zone as an opportunity for investment in medicine production, medical devices and health technologies.
The minister also urged Japanese investors to participate in processing graphite, nickel, cobalt and lithium locally instead of exporting raw minerals, saying value addition remains a key government priority.
On infrastructure, Prof Mkumbo said the country is undertaking one of its biggest transport transformations, including the Standard Gauge Railway, expansion of Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara ports, strategic highways, airports and urban transport systems.
He called for greater Japanese participation through public-private partnerships, concessional financing and quality infrastructure technologies, including smart transport systems, railway engineering, resilient bridges and intelligent traffic management.
Prof Mkumbo also proposed accelerating implementation of the Tanzania–Japan construction cooperation agreement signed during TICAD 9 by expanding training for Tanzanian engineers and technicians and strengthening collaboration between construction institutions in both countries.
He said Tanzania remains grateful for Japan’s decades-long support through grants, concessional loans exceeding 4.2 billion US dollar and technical cooperation, but added that the next chapter of the relationship should focus on investment, industrialisation and shared prosperity.
