Nanauka orders youth officers to tighten data systems and link young people to jobs and skills

By The Respondents Reporter

The Minister of State in the President’s Office for Youth Development, Joel Nanauka, has directed Regional and Council Youth Development Officers to strengthen data management systems and ensure young people are effectively connected to national programmes on skills training, employment and economic empowerment.

Opening a working session for Youth Development Officers at the Hazina Hall in Dodoma on Tuesday, Nanauka said accurate and reliable youth data is essential for identifying challenges facing young people and designing interventions that respond to real needs on the ground. He noted that weak or outdated statistics continue to limit the impact of many youth-focused initiatives.

The minister instructed the officers to play a more active role in linking young people in their areas with existing government programmes and opportunities, stressing that access to skills development, jobs and financing should not depend on location or personal connections.

Nanauka also called for stronger collaboration between youth officers and development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector at regional and council levels to deliver faster and sustainable outcomes for young people. 

He underlined the need for accountability, integrity and prudent use of public resources allocated for youth development.

He said the Sixth Phase Government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan has taken deliberate steps to strengthen policy, legal and institutional frameworks for youth development, including the establishment of a dedicated ministry under the President’s Office. 

According to the minister, the move reflects the government’s commitment to placing young people at the centre of national development efforts.

Nanauka urged the officers to be guided by the ministry’s three core principles: acting swiftly on youths’ ideas and feedback, reaching young people where they are and listening to them directly, and embracing technology to keep pace with the changing needs and aspirations of the youth.

He said effective implementation of the directives would improve coordination, expand access to opportunities and translate government policies into tangible benefits for young people across the country.