DAR ES SALAAM: THE United Kingdom (UK) Minister for Africa, Lord Collins of Highbury, is in Tanzania for a two-day official visit for the objective of forging cooperation in trade, investment, clean energy and health.
His visit that concludes today, marks the first visit by a UK Minister to Tanzania since the new UK government took office in July last year.
As part of his visit, Lord Collins yesterday toured the Dar es Salaam Port to highlight the UK and Tanzania’s shared commitment to economic growth and the importance of infrastructure in facilitating trade.
The UK has invested over 55 million Pounds (about 181bn/-) in Tanzania’s infrastructure over the past decade, including 10 million pounds (about 30bn/-) in the Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Programme to enhance port efficiency.
The minister is also engaging with senior government officials and business leaders to explore ways to enhance bilateral trade and investment.
Discussions will assess progress under the Mutual Prosperity Partnership, which was agreed upon in April 2024.
Since then, the UK has announced 45 million US dollars approximately 115.2bn/- in new investments through British International Investment, focusing on renewable energy and telecommunications.
Additionally, UK support has helped Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) secure more than 5.5 million Pounds in financing.
Health cooperation is another key focus of the visit. Lord Collins is set to visit the National Public Health Laboratory, where he will meet scientists involved in pathogen detection, including efforts to combat the recent Marburg outbreak.
The UK supports this facility through the Fleming Fund, a 265 million Pounds aid programme, assisting up to 25 countries in Africa and Asia in addressing antimicrobial resistance.
The UK has also allocated over 1 million Pounds to Tanzania for health security initiatives, including disease surveillance and Marburg outbreak response. Speaking about his visit, Lord Collins described Tanzania as a close friend of the UK, saying the two nations has a long-standing and growing partnership.
“I look forward to strengthening our collaboration on trade, investment and sustainable development. From modernising infrastructure to supporting health and climate action, the UK remains committed to working with Tanzania to unlock opportunities for mutual prosperity,” he said.
During his time in Tanzania, the minister is launching the UK-funded ‘Manufacturing Africa’ study to identify investment opportunities in Tanzania’s critical and strategic minerals sector, which is essential for the global energy transition. He is also visiting a company advancing electric mobility in Tanzania.
His visit follows that of UK Special Representative for Climate, Rachel Kyte, who was in Dar es Salaam last month for the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit.
During her visit, she announced 8.5 million Pounds in UK funding for the African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), aimed at attracting private investment in renewable energy and increasing access to clean power across Africa.
