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Young people in Tanzania are being urged to step forward and take an active role in shaping the country’s future by getting involved in policy-making processes that directly impact their lives.
Analysts, community leaders, and youth advocates say it’s time for young citizens to stop sitting on the sidelines and start influencing decisions in areas such as agriculture, entrepreneurship, and industry.
Despite being the largest demographic group in the country, many Tanzanian youths are still absent from national conversations. Instead of engaging with opportunities that could transform their lives and communities, a growing number are turning to informal jobs — such as motorcycle taxi operations or street vending — which often provide little long-term security or growth.
“Young people can’t contribute meaningfully to policy discussions if they don’t understand the sectors those policies affect,” said a speaker during a recent public dialogue. “You can’t suggest improvements to agriculture policy if you’ve never worked a farm, or weigh in on industrial development if you’ve never stepped foot in a factory or started a small business.”
This lack of participation is being attributed to two main challenges: inadequate education in critical areas and a widespread belief among youth that policy issues are best left to politicians or experts. As a result, when the nation discusses its future direction, many of the people who will live that future remain unheard.
Recent events illustrate this challenge clearly. In Ubungo, Dar es Salaam, a soap-making and entrepreneurship workshop aimed at empowering youth drew low turnout — despite efforts to publicize it widely. Interestingly, most of those who attended were women, suggesting that young men in particular may be disengaging from developmental initiatives.
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“Some young people just don’t see the point of these trainings,” said one participant. “They think it’s a waste of time, or maybe they don’t believe it will really help them. So instead, they stick with what they know — like boda boda driving — even if it doesn’t lead anywhere in the long term.”
In response, stakeholders are calling on government institutions, NGOs, and the private sector to design more inclusive, relatable, and accessible programs that speak directly to youth needs and aspirations. There are also calls to integrate leadership and policy education into school curricula and community programs to build awareness from an early age.
Some positive steps have already been taken. The government’s Building Better Tomorrow Youth Initiative for Agribusiness (BBT-YIA), for example, has started equipping hundreds of young Tanzanians with skills in areas like animal husbandry and crop farming. Similarly, the recently launched amended National Youth Development Policy aims to address youth challenges while promoting greater inclusion in national decision-making.
