DAR ES SALAAM: PICTURE Tanzania’s Ambassador to Algeria, Mobhare Matinyi, moving from one boardroom to another with Tanzania firmly on his mind, promoting the country’s investment opportunities while securing markets for Tanzanian agricultural products in countries such as Algeria and Sweden.
Here, diplomacy is often mistaken for polished speeches and ceremonial handshakes, but in reality, it is economic footwork. Every investor persuaded and every market secured creates opportunities for youth employment, entrepreneurship and national prosperity. Business suits, it turns out, can be just as productive as overalls in the field.
That image should inspire Tanzania’s youth to rethink their priorities and channel their energy into productive pursuits rather than politicised demonstrations that offer little guarantee of economic advancement. Development is increasingly becoming a practical reality. Yet opportunities alone do not produce success. They require prepared minds, marketable skills and determination. Even the widest-open door cannot carry anyone across its threshold.
Recognising this, the government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan has continued creating an enabling environment for young people. It has expanded access to youth loans, strengthened entrepreneurship programmes and established a dedicated ministry to coordinate youth affairs and address their concerns. These initiatives are designed to help young Tanzanians transform ideas into businesses and ambitions into sustainable livelihoods.
Still, government action is only part of the equation. A farmer may prepare fertile land, but seeds must still be planted and nurtured. Likewise, diplomats may attract investors, but investors cannot employ people who lack skills, discipline and professionalism. Export markets remain valuable only when producers consistently deliver quality goods that meet demand. Markets are opening, but they will not remain open indefinitely.
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Young Tanzanians should therefore focus on innovation, agriculture, manufacturing, technology and value addition instead of distractions that consume time without creating income. Social media may deliver thousands of likes, but likes have never signed a pay slip or paid school fees. Hard work usually does.
This is not to suggest that government policies are beyond criticism. Constructive debate is essential in every democracy. However, criticism should encourage participation rather than paralysis. National development succeeds when sound policies, private initiative and personal responsibility move together.