NIT urged to aid innovation by the youth

Dar es Salaam. The government has directed the National Institute o Transport (NIT) to start providing scholarships to youth who have come up with groundbreaking and commercially viable technologies.

Ministry of Works and Transport (Transport docket) deputy permanent secretary Ally Possi issued the order when he made his maiden visit to NIT yesterday.

“You must be involved in developing young innovators to showcase their creativity. You can look for funds so as to support the talented innovators,” he said, commending the Institute for starting programmes that were supporting the government’s mega projects including the standard gauge railway (SGR).

“The pilot training programme and the courses related to railway and marine will purposely support our megaprojects with enough human capital,” he said.

He assured NIT that aeroplanes purchased for the pilot training programme will arrive in the country this year so as to pave a way for the programme to start.

NIT rector Zacharia Mganilwa said the Institute was currently looking for funds to establish a railway college in Dodoma and a campus in Lindi for maritime studies.

“In Lindi, we have secured land where the Institute will build a marine college that will support the blue economy. In Dodoma, we are planning to establish a Railway College to train students on railway matters that would also build the wagons,” he said.

NIT has also introduced a Diploma Programme in shipbuilding and repair and a Bachelor’s Degree in Shipping and Port Logistics Management (BSPLM) as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Naval Architecture aiming at producing local technicians and engineers who will be capable of building ships and thus contributing to the blue economy.

The Institute is based in Dar es Salaam.