DODOMA: ONE hundred days into President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s second-term leadership, Tanzania’s mining sector is gaining strong momentum, driven by reforms aimed at accelerating revenue collection, strengthening mineral governance and expanding value addition nationwide.
Between November 2025 and January 25, 2026, the Ministry of Minerals collected 311.8bn/-, exceeding its target by 111 per cent. The ministry had projected collections of 280.6bn/- for the period, but enhanced regulatory enforcement and tighter oversight pushed revenue well beyond expectations.
This achievement places the ministry firmly on track to meet its ambitious 1.2tri/- revenue target for the 2025/2026 financial year.
Presenting the ministry’s 100-day performance report in Dodoma recently, Minister for Minerals Mr Anthony Mavunde attributed the improved performance to reforms strengthening mineral licensing systems, tightening trade controls and intensifying anti-smuggling measures.
He said the measures have significantly reduced leakages and improved compliance across the mining value chain, from exploration and production to trade and export.
As a result, the mining sector’s contribution to the national economy has risen from 10.1 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024 to 12 per cent within the first 100 days of President Samia’s renewed mandate.
The government is also finalising a Five-Year Mineral Value Addition Strategy (2026/27–2030/31) to consolidate gains achieved under ongoing reforms.
A key driver of growth has been the push for mineral value addition. Six gold refineries are now operational nationwide, alongside four mineral processing plants handling tin, nickel and graphite. Dodoma Region alone hosts nine mineral valueaddition factories, strengthening its emergence as a processing hub.
Among the most anticipated projects is Tanzania’s first nickel and copper processing plant in Bahi District, Dodoma. Once commissioned, the facility is expected to deepen downstream benefits and stimulate local manufacturing.
In Arusha, construction of the 33bn/- Tanzania Gemmological Centre (TGC) has reached 10 per cent completion.
Meanwhile, state-owned STAMICO is finalising installation of a 4bn/- salt processing plant at Lingaula in Kilwa District, Lindi Region. The plant, scheduled to begin operations next month, will process 2,040 tonnes of salt per month, benefiting producers in Dar es Salaam, Coast, Lindi and Mtwara regions.
On local participation, Mr Mavunde said that between November 2025 and January 2026 the government issued 12,130 mining licences , 117.8 per cent of the annual target. A total of 73 licences were revoked for non-compliance and reallocated to small-scale miners, women and youth under the Mining for Brighter Tomorrow programme.
The ministry has also enforced amended Local Content Regulations, reserving 20 categories of goods and services exclusively for Tanzanianowned firms to deepen domestic participation and retain value within the local economy.
From July to December 2025, mineral trading worth 3.1tri/- was conducted through 44 mineral markets and 117 buying centres. Gemstone auctions in Mirerani and Arusha generated 2.7bn/-, earning the government 247.3m/- in levies.
In support of clean energy adoption, the ministry has procured two Rafiki Briquettes production machines for Tabora and Dodoma, both expected to begin operations between February and March 2026.
Ten containers have also been distributed to support briquette production and storage across Njombe, Mbeya, Songwe, Coast, Dodoma, Iringa, Ruvuma, Geita and Shinyanga regions. Additionally, 30 motorcycles have been procured for Rafiki Briquettes agents, with distribution scheduled for February 2026.
On geological development, surveys conducted between July and December 2025 in QDS 221 and 222 in Kibiti and Rufiji districts expanded the country’s surveyed area from 97 to 98 per cent.
The government has also installed 32 seismic monitoring stations and procured modern geophysical and earthquakemonitoring equipment to enhance safety and resilience in mineral operations.
Mr Mavunde noted that 97 per cent of the country has undergone baseline geological mapping, 100 per cent of airborne magnetic surveys have been completed and 24 per cent of geochemical surveys finalised. The government aims to increase geochemical survey coverage to 50 per cent by 2030.
“These achievements demonstrate the mining sector’s growing role in national development and reaffirm the government’s commitment to ensuring Tanzanians benefit directly from their mineral wealth,” he said.
As the 100-day milestone concluded, the government announced plans to sign major mining agreements this month for the extraction of niobium at the Panda Hill deposit in Songwe Valley, Mbeya Region.
The project, valued at over 1tri/-, will include construction of a smelting and value-addition plant to produce ferro-niobium.
“With this development, Tanzania is poised to become the world’s fourth-largest niobium producer, after Brazil and Canada,” Mr Mavunde said.
The sector is also anticipating new gold discoveries, with global mining giant Barrick Gold preparing to begin deep exploration in Nzega (Tabora Region) and Kahama (Shinyanga Region), a move that could lead to the development of a major new large-scale gold mine.
On the gold purchase initiative, Mr Mavunde said the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) has acquired and stored 17 tonnes of gold as part of national reserves in the 14 months since October 2024.
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“This stockpile positions Tanzania 10th in Africa, surpassing Mozambique and drawing closer to leading goldholding countries such as Algeria,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ministry has begun preparations for new Carbon-in-Pulp (CIP) gold processing plants at Mwakitolyo in Shinyanga and Buhemba in Mara, each with a capacity of 120 tonnes per day. Construction is scheduled to begin in February.