Invest more in people, UN advises

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania needs to pay more attention to skills development as it forges ahead with its industrialisation agenda, a top United Nations official has urged.

Mr Alvaro Rodriguez, the outgoing UN Resident Coordinator said yesterday the country had bright prospects – riding on peace – but its future lies in a more skilled workforce that should drive the industrialisation process.

“Although industrialisation and infrastructure development are key factors in Tanzania’s development trajectory, the process should be balanced by paying equal attention to the needs within the social sector,” he said in an exclusive interview with The Citizen.

“I am optimistic about the country’s future because over the years, it has remained peaceful. There is a new way of working within the government that demonstrates a sense of urgency towards developing the country further.”

The outgoing UN Resident Coordinator, who has worked in Tanzania for five years, is leaving for Turkey to assume a new role within the international organisation.

Among the key UN achievements during his tenure in Tanzania is the formulation of the United Nations Development Assistance Programme (UNDAP II, 2016-2021).

Human development for both the formal and informal sectors is one of the critical components of the UN-backed programme – which is in line with the five-year National Development Plan in the Mainland and the Mkuza Strategy III in Zanzibar (finalised in 2016).

The UNDAP II (2016-2021) highlights the need for new skills development for improved employability through on-the-job mentoring and training.

Last month, the World Bank also urged Tanzania to undertake important and urgent investments in its people, especially the youth, if the country is to improve its human capital for sustainable development.

According to the latest Economic Update published by the World Bank in July, the country has made gains in human development in recent years, but its human capital index (HCI) of 0.40 means that children born today in Tanzania may reach only 40 per cent of the earnings that they could have attained with full health and education.

“Tanzania’s wealth has increased by 45 per cent since 1995 and this is an important achievement, but the country’s population has also grown, leading to a decreasing of per capita wealth which is not sustainable,” says Ms Bella Bird, World Bank Country Director for Tanzania.

“For the country to achieve sustained and inclusive growth, it needs to make a concerted investment in its people, as human capital is the most important asset of any country.”

And Mr Rodriguez noted that the provision of free education in public primary and secondary schools is “a great starting point” as it will ensure that in future, the economy will be in the hands of young educated women and men.

He also reiterated that the principle of inclusion is key to sustainable development in the country as it advocates for respecting the voice of all people and promotes the participation of women and men in all socioeconomic and political sectors.