Tanzania: Embrace Science and Technology, Government Urges Tanzanians

By Benjamin Ben

THE government has encouraged Tanzanians in the sector of Science and Technology to embrace

innovation as one step to accelerate industrialisation, create employment, promote sustainable trade and uplift economy.

This was said by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Dr Leonard Akwilapo during a dialogue hosted to mark Science, Technology and Innovation Day held recently at Julius Nyerere Trade Fair Grounds in Dar es Salaam. He observed that Tanzania which has succeeded to enter into the league of middle income economy needs to boost her manufacturing and production sectors to fast track the growth of economy.

"Tanzania has many technology experts who are doing a commendable job, but some of them fail to generate income from their products due to high competition on the market," Dr Akwilapo said.

He added that most innovators lack best ways on how to improve their work, thereby ending up producing products of low quality which fail to sustain the available competition on the market, hence the need to empower them (innovators) to start producing high valued products.

Dr Akwilapo continued that the current administration under the presidency of Dr John Magufuli highly emphasises on the development of the manufacturing industry so as to drive further the economy of the country.

"The status we have attained by reaching the middle income economy is something we should be proud of, but this must make us work harder to upgrade this sector of industrialisation," he said.

On his part, the Director General of the National Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), Dr Amos Nungu said points made during the dialogue will help a lot to bring significant production changes among various stakeholders who embraced the meeting on the day.

"In ensuring that Technology and Innovation develops in the country, COSTECH has established national competition for Science, Technology and Innovation aimed at speedy development in the innovation sector," Dr Nungu said.

He further elaborated that the competition involves students from primary schools to university levels, and that winners are awarded by COSTECH.

Again, Dr Nungu said his commission is currently financing 130 winners of various innovation competitions for them to increase their work productivity.

"This year, 70 winners emerged, and we are closely working with them to make sure that they are highly polished before letting them go to work in trading markets," he said.

The dialogue was centered on three main topics aimed at finding proper ways to propel industrial growth, creation of employment and trade.