DUBAI: Tanzania is moving ahead with plans to link all of its major seaports and inland ports through an integrated rail network as part of a strategy to boost regional trade and attract foreign investment, President Samia Suluhu Hassan said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Samia said the government is working to interconnect the Indian Ocean ports of Dar es Salaam, Tanga and Mtwara through modern infrastructure, including railways, to improve logistics and market access for investors.
The plan also includes linking ports on Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa to strengthen trade ties with landlocked neighbouring countries, she said.
“We are trying to connect these ports to other parts of Tanzania by railway so that we can transport goods arriving in Tanzania to neighbouring countries more efficiently,” Samia told the summit.
She said Tanzania has invested heavily in large-scale infrastructure, including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), which is expected to span about 2,100 kilometres from Dar es Salaam to Burundi, with a later extension planned to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“This is a major route that can be used from Dar es Salaam Port to anywhere in the region,” Samia said, noting that Tanzania borders eight countries and is positioning itself as a regional logistics hub.
She said the infrastructure programme has been supported by financing from development partners including the African Development Bank Group, the World Bank, the OPEC Fund, the Abu Dhabi Fund and the Abu Dhabi Export Fund.
Samia said Tanzania has also introduced policy, legal and regulatory reforms to make the investment climate more predictable.
“In principle, the basic infrastructure for investment growth is already laid in Tanzania,” she said.
Later on Wednesday, Samia spoke at the launch of the Global Africa Investment Summit (GAIS), held on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit, where she said trust, policy consistency and strong institutions were critical to attracting long-term capital into Africa.
“What investors seek today is not only opportunity, but trust — trust in institutions, policy consistency and governments that honour commitments,” she said.
She said Tanzania has prioritised investment in energy, transport and logistics, alongside the creation of special investment zones, special economic zones and a one-stop investment facilitation centre.
GAIS aims to mobilise global capital by converting African sovereign and public assets into bankable investment portfolios that meet international standards for governance, risk management and returns.
Akinwumi Adesina, former president of the African Development Bank and GAIS co-founder and executive chairman, said Africa’s challenge was not a lack of assets but weak structures linking them to global capital.
Samia said Tanzania’s participation in GAIS reflects its commitment to structured partnerships aligned with national development priorities and investor expectations.
She also held bilateral meetings at the summit focused on strengthening strategic partnerships and advancing economic diplomacy under Tanzania’s Vision 2050 agenda.