Industrialisation frameworks from global to local levels

Industrialisation has been among the major policy goals in Tanzania since independence 60 years ago. In more recent times, it got major policy push in the fifth phase government under President John Magufuli.

This policy push goes continues under President Samia Suluhu Hassan. It is very important for Tanzania’s industrialisation efforts to be informed by several frameworks at various levels. This piece outlines some of these frameworks from global to local levels.

Unpacking industrialization

At the core of succeeding in Tanzania’s industrialisation move lies understanding of what industrialization means and entails. Industrialization implies extensive development of organised economic activity for the purpose of manufacture. It is characterized by transformation of a primarily agrarian economy into a more specialised, capital – as opposed to labour – intensive economy. Industrialisation took the form of Industrial Revolution in Western Europe and North America in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is a process in which a country transforms itself from a basically agricultural society into one based on manufacturing.

From global to local levels

In order to have a better understanding of industrialisation efforts in Tanzania, it is important to understand and contextualise industrialisation in various global, continental and sub-regional levels first.

This is because the industrialization efforts in Tanzania do not and are not supposed to be taking place in vacuum but in a broad context. They have to be bench-marked, informed, influenced, moved and shaped by similar efforts elsewhere.

Various global, continental and sub-regional industrialisation frameworks stand to provide key lessons for Tanzania’s industrialisation efforts. Needless to say, country-specific industrialisation efforts across the world stand to provide lessons that can be contextualised in Tanzanian situation on the ground.

Industrialisation at global level

Among the leading global level industrialisation framework is the Agenda 2030 of the United Nations. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Number Nine is about Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. It focuses on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation. SDG-9 target number two is on promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries.

Target three is on increasing access to financial services and markets. This includes increasing the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets.

Other SDG-9 targets with direct connection to industrialisation include target four which is on upgrading all industries and infrastructures for sustainability.

Target five is on enhancing research and upgrading industrial technologies and target nine is on supporting domestic technology development and industrial diversification.

Industrialisation at continental level

At the level of the African continent, industrialisation is captured in the Agenda 2063 of the African Union.

Its focus includes the need for learning from past and present development efforts and challenges and forging an African-centred approach to transformation. It includes lessons from industrialisation and modernisation efforts. It aims at enhancing productivity agenda as an essential engine for industrialization.

Its critical enablers for transformation include looking inwards to mobilise African resources to finance and accelerate its industrialisation among others.

Industrialisation at Sadc level

Industrialisation is among the top agendas in the Southern Africa Development Community, detailed in the Sadc Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063.

The strategy aims at achieving self-sustaining development for African countries through value addition.

It is aligned to national, regional, continental and international dimensions. The primary orientation of the strategy is the importance of technological and economic transformation of the region through industrialization among others. Industrialisation is taken as a champion of economic and technological transformation.

Industrialisation at EAC level

Within East African Community, industrialization is detailed in its Industrialisation Strategy 2012 – 2032. It elaborates key interventions necessary for effective implementation of the EAC Industrialisation Policy (2012-2032). It is premised on the collective commitment of the Partner States to fast track equitable and sustainable development. The EAC is committed to economic structural transformation through industrialisation. It is underpinned by national industrialization policies and strategies.

Industrialisation in Tanzania

Industrialisation efforts in Tanzania is captured in a number of documents. These include but are not limited to the country’s documents that guide development. They include National Development Vision-2025, the three Tanzania Five-Year Development Plans, the ruling party election manifestos, presidential speeches in the Parliament, annual development plans and budgets.