President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania has held high level talks with President/Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, on a major expansion of the Group’s investments in Tanzania.
The discussion bothered on focusing on transport infrastructure, fertiliser production, power generation, ports and regional trade.
Dangote and investments in Tanzania
The meeting, held at the State House in Dar es Salaam, reaffirmed the long-standing partnership between Tanzania and the Dangote Group.
The meeting also opened discussions on a new phase of investments, in alignment with the country’s industrialisation and economic transformation agenda.
Speaking after the meeting, Dangote said Tanzania remained one of Africa’s most attractive investment destinations, noting that the Group had identified several strategic sectors capable of delivering significant economic value.
“We have identified areas that can deliver significant value for Tanzania, and we are ready to work together to develop them for our mutual benefit,” he said.
The discussions covered a broad range of projects, including port development, and the construction of a 40-kilometre concrete access road to support port operations.
The meeting also bothered on development of a special trade zone, a proposed 2,000-megawatt coal fired power plant, a urea fertiliser plant and transport infrastructure linking Mtwara with Mbamba Bay in Southern Tanzania.
Dangote also explained the commercial and technical considerations behind the Group’s decision to locate its planned East African refinery in Lamu, Kenya.
He also extended an invitation to the Government of Tanzania to participate in the investment.
President Samia welcomed the Dangote Group’s continued confidence in Tanzania.
He directed relevant ministries and government agencies to commence detailed technical discussions on the proposed investments in line with the country’s legal, policy and development priorities.
She also appointed the country’s Minister of Planning and Investment to coordinate the strategic partnership with Dangote Industries Limited, with both sides expected to begin formal negotiations in the coming days.
A Tanzanian government delegation led by the Minister was expected to visit Nigeria to advance discussions and develop implementation frameworks for the proposed projects.
The Tanzanian Government stated in a statement from the Directorate of Presidential Communications that it remained committed to strengthening partnerships with the private sector.
The partnerships, it was stated, were as part of efforts to mobilise productive investment, accelerate industrialisation, promote technology transfer, and create sustainable employment opportunities.
Dangote Industries is already operating one of the largest industrial investments in the East African country through its US$500 million cement plant in Mtwara.
The plant, it was said, has an annual production capacity of three million tonnes and supplies both the domestic market and neighbouring countries.
The latest engagement deepened the partnership between the East African country and the Dangote Group.
It also reinforced the company’s position as one of Africa’s leading private sector investors driving regional industrialisation, infrastructure development, and economic integration.
Recall that the African businessman, Mr Aliko Dangote, last April, announced plans to build a new oil refinery in Tanzania for the East African Region.
The planned refinery was a fallout of the war in Iran which exposed the over-reliance of the African Continent on fuel imports from the Middle East.
Dangote and the president of Kenya, William Ruto, had announced at an African Finance Corp summit, held in Nairobi that the project will include a pipeline that would link the Kenyan port city of Mombasa to the northeastern Tanzanian harbour of Tanga.
The refinery, it was disclosed will process crude from countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, Ruto had said at the summit.
“We are discussing that we are going to have a joint refinery in Tanga to benefit all of us.
“My commitment today here is that we will lead the refinery. We’ll make sure that that refinery is built within the next four to five years,” Dangote had also said.
