TZS1.278bn school opens in Lindi, set to serve 400 pupils

 

By Our Reporter

More than 400 children in Likong’o and neighbouring villages are expected to benefit from a newly completed TZS1.278 billion pre-primary and primary school, as investment linked to Tanzania’s planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) project begins delivering social infrastructure to host communities.

Energy Minister Juma Zuberi Homera officially opened Likong’o Pre-Primary and Primary School on October 26, 2026, saying the project demonstrates how large-scale energy investments should translate into tangible benefits for communities living around them.

The school, constructed under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme of the LNG project through the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and its project partners, has capacity for 400 pupils, comprising 350 primary school children and 50 pre-primary learners.

Dr Homera said the government wanted strategic energy projects to contribute not only to national economic growth but also to improvements in the lives of people in surrounding communities.

“The project has been completed 100 percent, meeting quality, safety and contractual requirements. This modern school will accommodate approximately 400 pupils by providing a better learning environment,” he said.

He said the facilities were expected to help reduce classroom congestion and improve learning outcomes.

The school has classrooms, administrative buildings and teachers’ houses, alongside facilities designed to accommodate pupils and other people with disabilities.

These include special toilets and accessible infrastructure, while a waste management system has also been installed to protect the health and safety of pupils and teachers.

Beyond education, the project has generated employment and created business opportunities for residents and local suppliers.

According to Dr Homera, more than 150 people secured jobs during construction, while local institutions and companies in Lindi Municipality were given priority in supplying construction materials and providing services.

The development also includes a 1.5-kilometre clean water pipeline connected to infrastructure operated by the Lindi Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (LUWASA).

The pipeline is expected to supply the school and extend water benefits to households in surrounding areas, potentially improving access to clean water for both learners and nearby residents.

Environmental conservation has also been incorporated into the project, with TPDC, investors, the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS), teachers, pupils and parents coordinating the planting of 2,000 trees around the school.

Dr Homera urged the surrounding community to protect the facilities to ensure they continue serving current and future generations.

The project comes as Tanzania advances plans to develop an LNG facility in Lindi, one of the country's major proposed investments in the natural gas sector.

However, the benefits of such investments to host communities will increasingly be measured by the quality and sustainability of social services, employment opportunities and local business participation they generate.