By Khalifa Hemed
Published March 19, 2022
The Tanzanian political capital, Dodoma, will see the laying of groundwork for one of the largest road projects in the whole of East and Central Africa. The circular highway forms part of a masterplan to transform greater Dodoma into a thriving, sustainable city for its estimated 2.4 million people. It is expected to shore up the reputation of Tanzania’s capital since 1996 as an academic city and tourist destination.
“Tanzania is making good strides in infrastructure development as it continues to construct roads linking to highways as in Dodoma and other parts of the country, ” Akinwumi A Adesina, President of African Development Bank (AfDB), a major funder of the project, said during his visit to the country in February 2022.
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The Board of AfDB approved 64% funding for the US$214.69 million Dodoma City Outer Ring Road project in 2019. The government of Tanzania’s contribution is US$34.5 million, while an additional US$41.8 million comes from the Africa Growing Together Fund that is financed by the People’s Bank of China.
Nnenna Nwabufo, Director General for East Africa, said: “Improving the lives of the people of Tanzania is our key mandate, and this visit reinforces the importance that the African Development Bank places on the country. The Bank remains a trusted partner of Tanzania.”
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Overall, Adesina’s three-day visit was expected to strengthen the already solid relationship between Tanzania and the Bank Group, reinforcing the country’s determination to become a middle-income economy.
Tanzania, a founding member of the African Development Bank, enjoys one of the largest Bank portfolios in the East Africa region. In January 2022, the Bank’s active portfolio consisted of 23 operations valued at US$2.5 billion. Infrastructure accounts for 87% of the portfolio value, out of which transport covers 62%, followed by energy (16%), and water supply and sanitation (9%). Agriculture, finance, and multi-sector make up 13% of the portfolio. Sovereign operations totaled US$2.32 billion.
