UDSM, Infinix Open New Opportunities for Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship
By Donald Boneka, CMU
The ability of young people to turn creative ideas into practical solutions and viable businesses is increasingly important to Tanzania’s digital economy. However, unlocking this potential requires opportunities to connect academic knowledge, technological expertise and industry experience.
Against this backdrop, the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), through its Directorate of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (DIEN), is collaborating with Infinix Mobile Tanzania under the Make Your Mark Africa campaign to promote youth creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The collaboration seeks to strengthen connections between university-based innovation and the technology industry, encouraging young people to move beyond using digital technologies to developing ideas and solutions that address real-world challenges.
Prof. Lilian Daniel Kaale emphasised that universities must create an environment where young people can transform their creativity and knowledge into practical innovations that contribute to society.
“Young people have enormous creative potential, but they need opportunities and an enabling environment to turn their ideas into solutions. By working with industry, universities can help nurture this potential and equip young innovators to contribute to national development,” she said.
She underscored the importance of linking academic knowledge with practical opportunities, enabling students and aspiring entrepreneurs to explore their ideas and develop solutions relevant to the needs of society.
Mr. Stephen Mokiwa, Marketing Manager at Infinix Mobile Tanzania, highlighted the role of technology and private-sector involvement in expanding opportunities for young people to develop their talents and pursue their creative ambitions.
“Technology offers young people new opportunities to express their creativity, develop their skills and turn their ideas into meaningful initiatives. Working with universities such as UDSM allows us to encourage young people to recognise their potential and use technology to make a positive difference in society,” he said.
Connecting ideas with practical opportunities
Through DIEN, UDSM supports innovation and entrepreneurship by encouraging members of the University community to develop ideas that respond to societal needs. Engagement with technology companies provides an opportunity to connect this academic and creative potential with industry experience and emerging technological developments.
For students and aspiring entrepreneurs, such collaboration is particularly important because having an innovative idea is only the beginning. Access to relevant skills, technological knowledge, industry perspectives and opportunities to test ideas can help transform creativity into practical solutions and potential enterprises.
The Make Your Mark Africa campaign reinforces this focus by promoting youth participation in Africa's technological and innovation landscape.
As digital technologies reshape education, business and employment, young people are increasingly required to develop skills that go beyond technology consumption. Creativity, problem-solving and entrepreneurial thinking are becoming essential in identifying opportunities and responding to emerging economic and social challenges.
The UDSM–Infinix collaboration therefore highlights the importance of positioning young people as active contributors to technological development rather than merely users of digital products.
By bringing together university expertise and private-sector experience, the partnership offers a platform for encouraging innovation, strengthening entrepreneurial thinking and exploring how young people's ideas can contribute to Tanzania's social and economic transformation.