Arusha. The government has launched a nationwide exercise to identify and profile all industries across Tanzania as part of efforts to build the National Integrated Industrial Management System (NIIMS), a central database designed to improve planning, oversight and investment in the industrial sector.
The system is expected to streamline data collection, strengthen policy formulation, support development planning, and enhance monitoring of the sector, which plays a pivotal role in driving national economic growth.
The initiative is being implemented by the Tanzania Industrial Research and Development Organisation (Tirdo) in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Prime Minister’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government – RALG).
Officials say the exercise will also help identify new investment opportunities within the sector.
Speaking in Arusha on November 17, 2025, during the opening of a training programme for technical officers who will undertake the exercise in the Arusha and Manyara regions, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Dr Hashil Abdallah, said the profiling exercise will enable Tanzania to build a realistic and reliable industrial database to ease planning and improve project execution.
“I sincerely commend Tirdo for the excellent work they are undertaking through the Industrial Information and Investment Opportunity Mapping Project.
This exercise is a crucial tool for managing the industrial sector in our country,” he said.
Dr Abdallah said that collecting industrial information and identifying investment opportunities will help address challenges facing investors while creating new platforms for engagement.
He urged regional administrative secretaries and trade officers to fully collaborate with TIRDO and called on private-sector players to provide accurate information on existing industries.
Trido Director General, Prof Madundo Mtambo, said the programme will provide regions with detailed information on active and closed industries, including reasons behind closures.
He noted that the exercise will also help identify investment opportunities capable of stimulating economic growth.
“These data will contribute to evidence-based industrial policymaking, support youth employment, and accelerate the development of the industrial sector,” Prof Mtambo said.
He said the profiling will cover all 26 regions of mainland Tanzania, collecting information on operational industries, their products, raw materials, markets, employment levels and the challenges they face.
The findings will then be used to provide technical advice aimed at strengthening industrial development.
Arusha Regional Administrative Secretary, Mussa Massaile, said the region currently has 4,006 industries, but demand for more remains high.
“It is important to know where these industries are located and what they produce so that we can strengthen their productivity and expand employment opportunities for national benefit. We are fully committed to supporting this exercise,” he said.
Manyara Regional Administrative Secretary Mariam Ahmed Haji welcomed the initiative, describing it as a key step toward improving the accuracy of government and private-sector information and boosting employment and industrial growth.
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