It has been said time and again that development is not about things. A country cannot be said to experience development simply because it has skyscrapers, bridges and roads. Development is about people, hence the concept of people-centred development. Yet no development can occur without infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railways, power plants, ICT networks and industrial machinery. It requires engineering capacity to develop infrastructure.
A country’s engineering capacity is its ability to turn development plans into functional infrastructure and technology using its own skilled people and systems. During the last few years Tanzania has worked to enhance its engineering capacity. Sources at the Engineers Registration Board show that the engineering workforce is growing, with nearly 41,000 registered engineers in 2024, up from 37,000 in 2023. The number of registered technician engineers, about 480, is also increasing.
However, despite this increase, local contractors and consultants are currently delivering only small and mid-sized projects, with high-value projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway and the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam being executed by foreign firms. About $10 billion and $2.9 billion have been paid to foreign firms for the SGR projects and Nyerere hydropower projects, respectively.
The number of registered engineers has grown steadily, the country faces a critical shortage of technicians and technologists. This is partly because technical colleges have been converted into institutions of higher learning offering degrees, reducing technician training. Infrastructure and industrial systems require not only professional engineers but also highly skilled mid-level professionals who can install, operate and maintain complex equipment.
Second, Tanzania must strengthen the link between institutions and industry. Institutions such as the University of Dar es Salaam and the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology should become applied engineering hubs that directly support national priorities in energy, transport, water and manufacturing.
Engineering is not merely a technical profession; it is the backbone of sovereignty, competitiveness and economic resilience. If Tanzania invests deliberately in building strong local engineering capability, it will not only construct infrastructure but also lay the foundation of long-term prosperity.
