Samia promises Sh1.1 billion monthly to run college

Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has inaugurated state-of-art vocational training college in Bukoba district, Kagera region promising to disburse at least Sh1.1 billion on monthly basis to enable the college run smoothly .

The Sh22 billion worth college which was constructed and donated to Tanzania by the Chinese government, will accommodate about 1,400 students out of which at least 400 of them will be enrolled on long term courses with the rest joining the college for short courses.

Speaking before the inaugural, President Hassan said: “Together with the cost that the government is going to incur on running this college, personally, I will sponsor 20 students on long courses, both male and female who are from families that are seriously facing financial hardships.”

The president recalled the 2021 study by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) which indicated that 12 percent of the country’s youth were not in any form of employment saying it was high time the youth took the advantage of the college establishment in the region.

She said, “If you are to examine the percentage, which is in fact a huge one, mind you, Tanzania’s population is mostly youth, so the work ahead of us is to make sure that youth are equipped with skills that would facilitate them to any form of employment.”

The head of state thanked the Chinese government saying the donated college would add more value to the country’s youth as it will contribute to their own development as well as that of the nation.

“The government is committed to establishing more vocational training colleges in districts country-wide, as they are the proper platforms for youth to acquire technical skills for the country’s industrialisation vision,” she explained.

According to the president, the government owns at least 77 vocational colleges. The number includes region and district level colleges, pointing further that her administration was currently finalising the construction of 25 district level facilities including one in Songwe region.

“During this fiscal year, the government has set aside Sh100 billion for such projects, and in the coming financial year, we are going to add more funds (Sh100 billion). We want to ensure that every district has its own state-of-art vocational training facility,” the president expounded. The president further said that the government was also committed to upgrade all old-fashioned vocational colleges in the country with new technology and machineries that would in turn provide employable skills to students upon graduating.

Earlier, the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania Ms Chen Mingjian said: “I commend the president’s commitment towards education especially improving teaching and learning environment and that her government will keep supporting Tanzania by constructing more educational related infrastructures.”

She said her country’s support will add more value to the country’s youth, thus formulate an employable population which will in turn contribute to the country’s industrialisation drive.