Tanzania urges private sector, innovation and public input to drive Vision 2050

Prof Kitila Mkumbo pressed for reforms and policy changes rather than isolated, statement-level support for business. He argued that private sector development should be central to the national agenda and that the private sector must be involved in designing development plans so those plans match investor, entrepreneur and citizen needs.

Shigeki Komatsubara, UNDP Resident Representative in Tanzania, said innovation needs to be part of how institutions operate. He identified planning, budgeting, procurement and decision-making as areas where innovation must be embedded to improve outcomes for development programs.

Elke Wisch, UNICEF Representative to Tanzania, focused on human capital. She warned that malnutrition, poor healthcare, inadequate education and early pregnancies could limit the country's ability to deliver Vision 2050. She framed investments in children and youth—nutrition, health, protection and skills—as foundational infrastructure for the plan.

Zuweina Farah, Vodacom Tanzania's Director of External Affairs and Regulatory, described a gap between network coverage and meaningful digital access. She noted that network signal has expanded but device affordability remains a major barrier: citizens often lack the devices needed to use digital services, reducing the benefit of expanded coverage. She called for collaborative efforts to lower device and internet costs and to measure digital progress by actual access and use.

Innovation Week brought together government officials, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, youth, civil society and development partners to explore solutions. Speakers called for:

• Policies and reforms that go beyond rhetoric and create predictable conditions for business.
• Active inclusion of private-sector perspectives in planning and investment decisions.
• Embedding innovation in government systems (planning, budgeting, procurement, decision-making).
• Investments in children's nutrition, health, education and skills to build future capacity.
• Joint efforts to reduce the cost of devices and internet so expanded network coverage translates into meaningful digital access.

Immediate implications and next steps

Speakers noted Tanzania's population projections: the population is expected to exceed 100 million by 2050, a demographic trend that increases urgency on both human-capital investments and digital inclusion if the country seeks broad-based growth under Vision 2050.