Recent reports in the Tanzanian press indicate that the government hopes to encourage investors to establish mobile phone assembly lines in Tanzania in order to bring affordable smartphones to unserved members of the population.
This effort will be part of plans to help the country reach 80 percent internet access by 2025.
The country, whose population is estimated at just over 61 million, has about 43.7 million mobile phone subscribers. However, only 23.1 million of them can access the internet. About 86 percent of people in rural areas do not have internet connectivity compared to 44.6 percent in urban areas.
In a joint statement released during the MoU signing event held at Slipway, Terrace in Dar es Salaam on June 2, 2021, the partnership embarked by PMI Tanzania Chapter and HEBO Consult intends to up-skill project management professionals in Tanzania by training them with the necessary knowledge and skills not only to become better project managers but also qualify them for globally recognized certifications like the PMP® (Project Management Professional), the leading credential for project managers globally.
This credential sets professionals on the global ladder and provides individual and organizational credibility in the execution of projects by following proven successful global standards. As the first and only Premier Authorized Training Provider certified by PMI in Tanzania, HEBO Consult provides standardized PMI-approved training programs for project management professionals across Africa.
Project Management is a growing profession across all sectors in Tanzania especially with the increase in various development projects nationwide. “As we know, Tanzania is a rapidly developing economy with industrialization at the forefront of our national strategy; therefore, a lot of investment is flowing towards large-scale projects.
This means now more than ever best practice project management is crucial to improving delivery and maximizing the efficiency of these projects enabling sustainable economic growth.
According to the Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) director-general, Amos Nungu, the availability of affordable smartphones would revolutionize internet use and help spur economic growth.
Nungu said the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) was working closely with stakeholders to ensure a majority of Tanzanians can afford smartphones to access the internet. The government also aims to ensure that optic fiber is rolled out in both rural and urban areas.
No details of the plans for enabling smartphone production have yet been revealed. Nor is it clear how the network access the smartphones would require will be made available in rural areas of the country that are at present unconnected.
By VAUGHAN O’GRADY
