The government has reiterated its commitment to rehabilitating and upgrading youth development centres across the country to transform them into effective hubs for economic, social and educational empowerment, Minister of State in the President’s Office for Youth Development Joel Nanauka has said.
Mr Nanauka made the remarks on December 15, 2025, during an inspection visit to Sasanda Youth Development Centre in Songwe Region, where he said the initiative aims to equip young people with practical skills and create opportunities that enable them to participate meaningfully in national development.
He said Tanzania currently has three youth development centres Sasanda in Songwe, Ilonga in Morogoro and Marangu in Kilimanjaro adding that the facilities have significant potential to nurture skilled, productive and self-reliant youth.
He urged regional and local leaders in areas hosting the centres to give them priority, noting that they provide a conducive environment for training, innovation and youth empowerment.
The minister noted that Sasanda Youth Development Centre began offering training services in 1979 but last conducted training in 2008, remaining inactive for many years.
He said the government has now put in place plans to rehabilitate the centres and ensure they are responsive to the current economic and social needs of young people in surrounding communities.
Mr Nanauka said the Sixth Phase Government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan has placed youth development at the core of its national agenda, including the decision to establish a dedicated ministry to comprehensively address youth issues and expand opportunities for young people.
During the visit, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the President’s Office for Youth Development Dr Kedmon Mapana urged government officials to work in line with the ministry’s guiding principles, which include acting with speed on youth matters, engaging directly with young people where they are, and embracing technology to effectively implement youth programmes.
Local residents living near the Sasanda centre welcomed the government’s plans to revive the facility. One of the residents, Mr Eliano Mwashiozya, said the rehabilitation would help reduce youth unemployment, increase income-generating opportunities and strengthen young people’s capacity to engage in productive activities that contribute to economic growth.