Minister of Minerals, Mr. Anthony Mavunde, during a meeting with the British High Commissioner to Tanzania, H.E. Marianne Young, at the Ministry of Minerals offices in Dar es Salaam. Photo: Courtesy
By Charles Mkoka
Dar es Salaam – The Tanzanian government has reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with the United Kingdom to advance the mining sector, focusing on building local capacity, knowledge exchange, value addition to minerals, and driving innovation through research.
The pledge was made yesterday 10th January 2025 by the Minister of Minerals, Mr. Anthony Mavunde, during a meeting with the British High Commissioner to Tanzania, H.E. Marianne Young, at the Ministry of Minerals offices in Dar es Salaam.
“This meeting served as both an introduction to Her Excellency Ambassador Young, who is newly appointed and an opportunity to reinforce the strong partnership between Tanzania and the UK,” said Minister Mavunde.
The discussions centered on enhancing collaboration between Tanzania’s Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST) and the British Geological Survey (BGS).
The goal is to equip Tanzanians with the skills needed to excel in the mining sector through training and shared expertise.
A significant portion of the talks focused on strategic minerals, with the UK expressing readiness to support Tanzania in building a comprehensive value chain to process and add value to these resources.
“This is a crucial time to ensure that Tanzanians fully benefit from our mineral wealth,” Mavunde emphasized.
He also highlighted Tanzania’s commitment to developing industries for value addition within the country.
“We are in the final stages of completing a strategic minerals plan aligned with the global push for clean energy and reduced carbon emissions.
Strategic minerals are in high demand globally, and this plan will position Tanzania to meet that demand while advancing our national interests,” he said.
Ambassador Young commended Tanzania’s leadership under President Dr. Samia S. Hassan for the strides made in the mining sector.
She expressed the UK’s enthusiasm to support Tanzania’s vision by sharing expertise and strengthening institutional capacity.
“The UK is fully supportive of Tanzania’s efforts to add value to its minerals and will continue working closely to help achieve these ambitions,” Ambassador Young stated.
The meeting stressed the strong and growing partnership between Tanzania and the UK, aimed at turning the mining sector into a key driver of economic growth and job creation in Tanzania.
