Minister Nanauka to University Students: You Must Serve as National Think-Tanks
By Jackson Isdory, CMU
The Minister of State in the President’s Office responsible for Youth Development, Hon. Joel Nanauka (MP), has called on university students to position themselves as national think-tanks and drivers of Tanzania’s future development.
Speaking during a high-level engagement with leaders of the Dar es Salaam University Students Organisation (DARUSO) at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), the Minister described universities as “intellectual laboratories” where transformative ideas and evidence-based policy proposals should originate.
Hon. Nanauka stressed that with 65 per cent of Tanzania’s population under the age of 35, young people hold the country’s strongest potential for socio-economic transformation.
He said the Government under President Samia Suluhu Hassan is committed to amplifying youth participation – illustrated by the establishment of the new Ministry for Youth. The Minister was accompanied by the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Kedmon Mapana.
“I am here to listen to your perspectives because universities are intellectual laboratories: spaces where constructive ideas, informed debate and transformative thinking must flourish,” he said, announcing Government plans to institutionalise youth dialogues to shape policy and development priorities.
Drawing on his experience as a former DARUSO Member of Parliament, the Minister urged students to make strategic use of digital platforms to promote national development priorities, strengthen their professional profiles and pursue economic opportunities.
He also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to the constitutional reform process and encouraged students to prepare substantive contributions ahead of the next phase of the review.
“Her Excellency President Samia has assured Tanzanians that the constitutional review process will resume. I urge you to prepare your contributions so that the new Constitution reflects issues central to young people”, he added.
Young people at the centre of national planning
Vice Chancellor of the University of Dar es Salaam, Prof. William Anangisye, welcomed the Minister’s message and commended the Government for placing young people at the centre of national planning. He highlighted recent curriculum reforms at UDSM designed to align university training with contemporary labour market demands and emerging global skills.
“As part of our commitment to developing well-grounded graduates, we have reformed our curricula to ensure students acquire the analytical, professional and leadership capabilities required in a fast-evolving labour market,” Prof. Anangisye stated, describing the visit as a strategic partnership between the University and the Government.
Deputy Vice Chancellor for Planning, Finance and Administration, Prof. Bernadeta Killian, noted that UDSM continues to supply a large segment of Tanzania’s skilled workforce, with more than 11,000 graduates completing their studies in 2025 alone.
She encouraged the Ministry to expand youth-centred initiatives within higher education institutions to tap into student perspectives on innovation, governance and policy direction.
DARUSO President, Mr. Emmanuel William, welcomed the visit as an important gesture of Government openness. He urged the Ministry to establish more formal mechanisms for student input into national discourse, saying this would strengthen national cohesion and intellectual participation.
Hon. Nanauka’s visit forms part of a nationwide outreach programme aimed at engaging young people in their learning and working environments. The initiative seeks to strengthen feedback channels and ensure youth voices are embedded in development planning as the Ministry rolls out its mandate.
Through the programme, the Government aims to cultivate a generation of young Tanzanians equipped, inspired and positioned to contribute meaningfully to the country’s socio-economic transformation.