Samuel Tindwa Tanzanian Journalist: Julius Nyerere Dam Reflects Strength of Egypt-Tanzania Partnership
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly is representing President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the inauguration of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam and Power Station in Tanzania, a major project built by an Egyptian consortium comprising The Arab Contractors Company and Elsewedy Electric.
Madbouly is leading a high-level Egyptian delegation to Tanzania to attend the inauguration of the project, which stands as one of the most prominent examples of economic and technical cooperation between Egypt and Tanzania.
The project has also drawn attention to the growing role of African companies and expertise in implementing major infrastructure projects on the continent.
In an interview with Afro News , Samuel Tindwa, a Tanzanian journalist and News Editor at The Citizen newspaper, said the fact that an Egyptian company built the project demonstrates that Africa has the expertise needed to address many of its development challenges from within the continent.
“The fact that it was actually an Egyptian firm that built the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is enough reason to show that much of what Africa needs in terms of expertise is to be sourced within the continent,” Tindwa said.
A relationship dating back to Nyerere and Nasser
Tindwa said the project also reflects the longstanding relationship between Tanzania and Egypt, which he said dates back to the era of former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere and former Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
“This is also testament to the fact that Tanzania and Egypt have enjoyed strong cooperation that dates back to the days of Julius Nyerere and Gamal Abdel Nasser,” he said.
He pointed to recent high-level exchanges between Cairo and Dodoma as further evidence of the strength of the bilateral relationship.
Tindwa cited Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s recent high-level visit to Tanzania and Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s three-day state visit to Egypt in November 2021, saying such visits have helped consolidate relations between the two countries.
Tanzania and Egypt urged to deepen African cooperation
Tindwa said the next stage of cooperation should focus on expanding economic ties and reducing Africa’s dependence on countries outside the continent for investment and expertise.
“Going forward, it is my view that the two countries and indeed the entire continent, must go beyond the normal,” he said.
He called for stronger intra-African trade and investment and greater sharing of knowledge and expertise.
“They should strive to up the level of intra-Africa trade and investment ties while also increasing knowledge sharing in an effort to reduce Africa’s reliance for capital and expertise from outside the continent,” Tindwa said.
He said stronger economic links among African countries would help the continent make greater use of its own capabilities and resources.
Nile Basin cooperation requires dialogue
Asked about the role Tanzania and Egypt could play in promoting development in African countries, particularly those in the Nile Basin, Tindwa said the management of shared water resources must be based on dialogue among the countries concerned.
“Managing a shared resource must involve dialogue,” he said.
Tindwa said Tanzania, Egypt and other Nile Basin countries have a responsibility to ensure that the river’s resources are managed effectively for the benefit of current and future generations.
“Tanzania, Egypt and other countries within the Nile Basin have a noble duty of ensuring that they manage the resource effectively for the general good of current and future generations,” he said.
He said the Nile could support development in the countries that share its waters.
“The Nile at their disposal, these countries can use the water to meet their various development endeavours,” he said.
According to Tindwa, the river’s water could be used to develop hydropower projects for clean energy, expand irrigation systems for modern agriculture and improve regional trade through shared water management and cooperative agreements.
At the same time, Tindwa stressed the importance of maintaining continuous dialogue among the countries sharing the Nile.
He said such dialogue was necessary to ensure that no country was deprived of its opportunity to benefit from the river and that no single state obtained a disproportionate share of its benefits.
“There is the need for constant dialogue among states sharing the resource to ensure that not a single country gets deprived of its God-given chance to benefit from the resource and that not even a single country gets the lion’s share of the benefits that comes of the river,” he said.
Tindwa called on Tanzania and Egypt to encourage dialogue among the Nile Basin countries.
“Tanzania and Egypt must foster that dialogue among partner states for the benefit of all,” he said.
Julius Nyerere Dam as an example of African cooperation
The inauguration of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam comes as Egypt and Tanzania seek to further strengthen their bilateral partnership, with the project providing a concrete example of cooperation in infrastructure, energy and technical expertise.
For Tindwa, the significance of the project goes beyond the construction of a power station. He said it demonstrates that African countries can increasingly draw on expertise available within the continent while strengthening trade, investment and knowledge-sharing among themselves.
The project thus provides a practical example of the potential for deeper South-South and intra-African cooperation, while highlighting the broader role that Egypt and Tanzania can play in supporting development and stability across the continent.
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