Impressed by the vastness of the Dangote Refinery currently under construction, the Commissioner in the High Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania, Mr. Muhidini Ally Mboweto, has sought the assistance of Africa’s foremost entrepreneur, Aliko Dangote, in the development of his country’s energy sector, specifically petroleum.
The Commissioner who led a delegation from Tanzania High Commission and the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) on a study tour of the Dangote Refinery and Fertiliser plants to seek collaboration between Dangote Group and the Tanzanian government in making the country self-sufficient in petroleum products, said his country needs similar investment.
Specifically, the ambassador appealed to Dangote to replicate his huge investment in the country’s cement and refinery industries into Tanzania’s petroleum refining sector.
Speaking after the tour of the Refinery and Fertiliser plants, Mboweto said Tanzania possesses vast natural resources and is endowed with unique comparative advantages thus offering exceptionally attractive opportunities to investors.
The ambassador flaunted Tanzania’s minerals’ potential which include gas, gold, diamonds and gemstones including tanzanite, base metals and a host of other minerals. He disclosed that Tanzania has bilateral trade agreements with eight countries it shares borders with including the Indian Ocean, describing them as potential markets for investors.
He stated: “Tanzania has a politically stable economy; it is surrounded by eight countries and six are landlocked, so their ports depend on Tanzania. Also, we are member to East Africa Community, which include Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. We are also part of a 16-country members with an average of 400 million people. So, when you invest in Tanzania, you are exposed to these huge potential.
“It is really worth investing in Tanzania because it will expose you to a large market. We want him (Dangote) to expand his investment in other areas of the economy. We have varieties of minerals, diamond, gold and other areas. You can invest in wildlife. We also have a lot of tourist attractions,” the High Commissioner added.
He commended Dangote for helping to reduce the price of cement in Tanzania through his massive investment in the country’s cement industry. “Dangote Cement is already in Tanzania and the plant is doing very well. So, the Dangote cement plant has made a huge contribution to our cement demand. Now, majority of people in Tanzania can access cement for their building construction,” he added.