Tanzania is stepping up efforts to attract fresh investments from the Dangote Group, with the East African nation targeting opportunities in fertiliser production, energy and industrial infrastructure as it pushes to accelerate economic growth.
The Minister of State in the President’s Office responsible for Planning and Investment, Prof. Kitila Mkumbo, disclosed this during a recent visit by a Tanzanian delegation to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals in Lagos. According to him, the visit was part of ongoing discussions aimed at expanding Dangote’s investment footprint in Tanzania following an earlier meeting between President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Dangote Group President and Chief Executive, Aliko Dangote.
Tanzania already has a major Dangote investment in the country, with the conglomerate operating its largest cement manufacturing plant, valued at about $800m. Mkumbo said the government was now looking to build on that relationship by tapping into Dangote’s experience in areas such as fertiliser production and refinery operations, which could strengthen Tanzania’s industrial base and create new opportunities for economic development.
The minister also linked the proposed investments to Africa’s broader push for industrialisation and economic integration. He said African countries needed to move beyond political cooperation and focus more strongly on building industries, expanding manufacturing capacity and creating stronger regional trade links under the African Continental Free Trade Area. For Tanzania, deeper cooperation with Dangote could provide another route to attracting capital, technology and industrial expertise.
Mkumbo further stressed the importance of local refining capacity as Africa seeks greater energy security in the face of global market disruptions. He argued that refineries such as Dangote’s could help African countries reduce their exposure to international fuel shocks and improve access to reliable energy. With Tanzania continuing to engage the Dangote Group, the talks could mark another step in the conglomerate’s growing expansion across Africa and the continent’s wider drive to build stronger home-grown industrial capacity.
source: punch
