Tanzania's Vice President, Deogratius Ndejembi, has said the issuance of oil and natural gas exploration licences to the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) is an important step towards strengthening domestic investment and enhancing the country’s capacity to utilise its natural resources.
He said the move would promote efficiency in energy production and increase the use of these resources for national development.
Ndejembi made the remarks on October 28, 2026, during a ceremony to sign oil and natural gas exploration licences for the Mnazi Bay North, West Songo Songo, Eyasi-Wembere and Lindi-Mtwara blocks.
He stressed the importance of strengthening TPDC’s capacity to manage and advance oil and gas exploration activities, noting that the investment should go hand in hand with preparations to enable Tanzanian professionals and companies to benefit from emerging opportunities.
He said the government wanted Tanzanians to participate fully in the sector’s value chain, including employment, service provision and business opportunities associated with oil and gas projects.
He directed the Ministry of Energy and TPDC to develop a strategic plan for empowering young people and local companies through the local content policy before the implementation of major projects, including the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project.
Highlighting the importance of these preparations, Ndejembi cited Rusiba Manjila, an oil and gas expert who left his job in Saudi Arabia and returned to Tanzania to establish a company that has employed more than 50 Tanzanians, 80 per cent of whom come from Madimba village.
He said the example demonstrated that developing local expertise could create more jobs and strengthen Tanzanians’ participation in energy projects.
For his part, Minister for Energy Juma Homera said the issuance of the licences was being carried out in accordance with the Petroleum Act of 2015 and marked a new chapter in TPDC’s management of oil and gas exploration blocks.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA), Engineer Charles Sangweni, said the authority would continue working with the Ministry of Energy and TPDC to ensure the implementation of the licences complied with the established laws, regulations and conditions.