The government has assured graduates from various universities across the country that it will continue to enhance the educational, employment, technological, and entrepreneurial environment to ensure that young people make significant contributions to the nation's development.
This was stated in Mwanza by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Hon. Engineer Mshamu Ali Munde (MP), who represented the Minister of Finance, Hon. Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar (MP), during the 39th graduation ceremony of the Rural Development Planning Institute, Second Session, held in Kitumba – Kisesa, at the Lake Zone Training Center in Mwanza.
"Youth are a vital group in economic growth, and recognizing this, the government has continued to empower young people and women through loans, education, investment, and development projects, including a 10% loan allocation in local councils," he said.
He added that the government has also established special investment windows for youth and increased the higher education loan budget to 916.7 billion shillings for the 2025/26 financial year.
Furthermore, he mentioned that the government has revived the Cultural Fund, benefiting over 300 youth arts projects, alongside enabling young people to engage in modern agriculture through the Building Better Tomorrow (BBT) program and the opportunities available through the Public Procurement Act, where President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed all public institutions to allocate 30% of all procurements for special groups, including youth.
"It is crucial for young people to seize the opportunities provided through the Public Procurement Act, where 30% of procurements are directed towards special groups, including youth. By doing so, it will help increase youth participation in our national economy, boost entrepreneurship, and reduce unemployment in the country," emphasized Hon. Munde.
Dr . Munde has encouraged the youth to continue learning, avoid HIV infections, join professional networks, and invest in ethics and patriotism to build a strong, progressive Tanzania that keeps pace with the changing world.
"Graduation is a sign that graduates are ready to embark on a new journey, applying the education they received at the university, which combined theory and practice, to address social and economic challenges, especially in rural areas, thus contributing to the growth of the National Economy," said Dr. Munde.
Additionally, Dr . Munde praised the Leadership Council for achieving significant progress at the College and promised that the Government would continue to support it financially to enhance infrastructure and human resources.
"The Government aims to make this College a hub for strategic ideas for national development, so I advise the College to leverage the experience of the Mwanza Training Center to establish other centers in the Coastal and Southern Highlands regions to bring professional services closer to more Tanzanians," Dr. Munde said.
Furthermore, Dr. Munde commended the College for establishing an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center that has provided opportunities for youth to start businesses and create solutions to community challenges, as innovation and entrepreneurship are the engines of a modern economy.
The Chairman of the Leadership Council of the Rural Development Planning College, Professor Joseph Kuzilwa, stated that through the Lake Zone Training Center, the College has become one of the higher education institutions in the country that has impacted the lives of people in rural areas through various development projects implemented in collaboration with various development partners.
Moreover, Professor Kuzilwa added that on August 29, 2025, the College successfully established the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center of the Rural Development Planning College (Mipango Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre), commonly known as MEI.
The establishment of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre at the Planning College (Mipango Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre) and the Centre of Excellence is set to greatly assist students in making significant contributions to their personal development as well as to the surrounding community, their societies, and the nation as a whole," stated Professor Kuzilwa.
The Principal of the Rural Development Planning College, Professor Hozen Mayaya, mentioned that the institution is committed to preparing professionals who are sufficiently skilled in development planning and producing patriotic and ethical experts, as patriotism and integrity are essential tools for building the country's economy.
He noted that to achieve the goal of making higher education institutions internationally recognized, the college has established a Globalization Desk aimed at fostering relationships with foreign institutions and creating a platform for international experience exchange.
Professor Mayaya added that to strengthen the goal of Globalization, the Rural Development Planning College has successfully signed various Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), including an agreement with the University of Eswatini and the Mananga Centre for Regional Integration and Management Development.
In line with the aspirations of Her Excellency President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan regarding the internationalization of higher education institutions, the Rural Development Planning College has deemed it beneficial to enter into agreements with other universities worldwide, which will help enhance academic matters, research, and development projects, Professor Mayaya said.During the Second Graduation Ceremony of the Rural Development Planning College, a total of 2,621 graduates were awarded certificates, including 1,117 men and 1,504 women, who received Diplomas, Bachelor's Degrees, and Master's Degrees in community development, rural development planning, regional development planning, economics, project planning , management, monitoring and evaluation of projects.