Prof Ngowi: Tanzania’s economic public intellectual gone too soon

The late Prof Honest Prosper Ngowi, an immediate former Associate Professor of Economics at the Mzumbe University. PHOTO| COURTESY

By Saumu Jumanne

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They say knowledge or information is power. There are many people with vast wells

of knowledge and information. But it’s, not all of them are willing to share the waters of the wells at little or no cost. We have consultants who individuals, companies, or organizations have to spend considerable money to get a cup of their knowledge.

Those who are often freely called upon to share their knowledge with the general public we call them public intellectuals, especially in the media and other public forums. In Tanzania, one of the foremost public intellectuals in the field of economics has been Professor Honest Prosper Ngowi, an Associate Professor of Economics at Mzumbe University, Tanzania. He is the Tanzania’s most remarkable and outspoken economics public intellectuals. Unfortunately, the cruel hand of death has taken him. I was so heartbroken by the sad news about his loss. Last Monday, a bad road accident robbed him. May God rest his soul in eternal peace, and may his family find comfort and peace in this tough moment!

Journalists from various media houses often sought his comments on current economic issues. He also made time from his busy schedule to write for Newspapers including The Citizen. He was well-known for his comments on current affairs touching on economics and business issues, including contributing to policy debates.

Only recently, on the negative economic effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Tanzania, he told The Citizen, “Tanzania should think of diversifying tourism markets and developing the domestic capability to produce agricultural products the country currently imports https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/national/tanzania-moves-to-shield-itself-from-ukraine-war-fallout-3763108.

Prof Ngowi was always forward-thinking, whether commenting on power generation, tourism, agriculture, or small business. He believed in a prosperous Tanzania, and what was needed was a proper business environment in place. Other times, he would comment on the prices of building materials and advise what should be done from an economic point of view.

Local TV stations would invite him to talk about economics and business issues. I don’t know Prof. Ngowi personally, but through his public debates via media. I can describe him as a man of the people. He understood the economy of Tanzania, and beyond the classroom, he would often attend business seminars of ordinary men, women and youth (who were not intellectuals), but business people making a living from the trade.

In public meetings for business people, even at the lowest cadre, his message was “you need to love your business so as to be able to grow it to the next level”. He believed in the power of the individual entrepreneur to grow and play a part in changing Tanzania into a better world.

Prof Ngowi completely understood that to do business was not for the fainthearted, and there were a lot of dynamics involved. Even when the going was tough, he urged entrepreneurs to fight it out and come out winners. And even if the business goes down, the entrepreneur must not go down with the business, and there is always more to life.

In one of his talks to about 400 small-scale women traders, he urged them before borrowing money for the business to ensure they do adequate research. After they borrow, they must become more innovative and sell more to be able to repay without stress.

In the meantime, thinking of how Prof Ngowi lost his life after a lorry carrying cargo container fell on his car, we need to rethink cargo transportation via our public roads. We often see such vehicles not fastened. It’s a wake-up call for a public campaign to stop “unsafe” cargo vehicles from using public roads. Personally, I am so scared of such vehicles, even to be near them. I wish such vehicles could have their own road (s).