Zanzibar — The Second Vice-President of Zanzibar's Government of National Unity (GNU), Mr Hemed Suleiman Abdulla has emphasised the need for all Tanzanians to take ownership of the Tanzania National Development Vision 2050 (TNDV 2050).
Despite the progress made under Zanzibar's Vision 2020 and the Union Vision 2025, Abdulla noted that Tanzania still faces significant social and economic challenges.
Addressing a forum at the Dr Ali Mohammed Shein Hall, State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), Abdulla said that while Tanzania has advanced to a lower middle-income country, there is more work to be done to ensure inclusive growth.
"We are proud of our progress, but we need to continue striving to achieve a level that leaves no one behind," Abdulla said.
The forum gathered a diverse audience, including students, people with disabilities, villagers, government leaders, NGOs and religious leaders, who were invited to share their views on the future direction of Tanzania over the next 25 years.
Abdulla urged Tanzanians, including those in the diaspora, to contribute their perspectives to the vision.
He particularly stressed the importance of involving young people, who make up about 77 per cent of Tanzania's population, to ensure that the vision addresses their needs and aspirations.
Among the challenges mentioned by Abdulla were the shortage of skilled labour, high unemployment, the impacts of climate change and the underutilisation of science and technology. "
These issues hold us back compared to Asian countries with which we were once at a similar development level," he noted. Abdulla addressed concerns about Zanzibar's involvement in the national vision despite having its own Vision 2050.
He clarified that Zanzibar, as part of the united Republic of Tanzania, must be engaged in national development discussions.
He expressed gratitude to the TNDV 2050 Technical Committee, led by Ambassador Dr Asha-Rose Migiro and to both the Zanzibar and mainland planning commissions for organising the forum.
Abdulla reinforced the Union President Samia Suluhu Hassan's message about the importance of a national development vision in providing clear direction and fostering unity and collective efforts towards progress.
Deputy Minister in the President Office for Planning and Investments, Mr Stanslaus Nyongo and Zanzibar's Deputy State Minister in the Office of the President (Finance and Planning), Mr Juma Makungu Juma, also underscored the significance of the development vision in achieving national goals.
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Ambassador Migiro highlighted key views collected from the forum, including calls for security assurance, clean energy access, good governance, accountability, food security, ICT utilisation, employable graduates, gender-based violence control, the use of Kiswahili and industrialisation by 2050. UNDP Resident .
Representative, Mr Shigeki Komatsubara noted that Tanzania is positioned to be a leading growth area in the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia.
He highlighted the increasing role of East Asian investors in Tanzania and Zanzibar's unique potential to contribute to the nation's development.
