Empty shelves and crumbling ceilings: The decline of Dodoma's Nane Nane Bus Terminal

However, today, the terminal stands in a dire state, with many shops vacated, and only a few businesses left clinging on, struggling to survive.

The Nane Nane terminal, despite its impressive structure, has failed to meet the high hopes once pinned on it. Originally, all buses travelling to and from Dodoma were meant to start or end their journeys here.

But the reality has been far from that. Today, the buses only make brief stops to pay taxes, bypassing the very purpose of the terminal as a centre for passenger and business activity and mostly dropping passengers at the famous area “CBE” over 10 kilometres from the terminal.

“This is not what we were promised,” laments Juma Msomi, an electronics trader who once had high expectations for the terminal. “We were told business would thrive here. Now, I’ve had to move closer to the SGR (Standard Gauge Railway) station. The situation at Nane Nane is hopeless.”

Mr Msomi is not alone. Many other traders have abandoned their shops, relocating to Dodoma’s bustling town centre or taking advantage of the new business opportunities emerging around the SGR station.

The once-busy terminal is now almost empty, with 98 percent of the shops on the upper floor vacant. The few remaining traders are mostly beverage vendors, who barely make enough to cover their expenses.

A crumbling investment

The state of the terminal’s infrastructure mirrors the dwindling business prospects. Ceiling boards on the first floor are rotting, some parts of the building are falling apart, and there is little foot traffic.

“It’s an abandoned place,” says one of the security guards at the terminal. “Traders are leaving because there’s no business, only a few water vendors manage to make as little as Sh3,000 per day.”

Merchants like Mr Juma Abdul, who had once hoped to thrive at Nane Nane, have given up and relocated. “I had to move to the CBE area near the Parliament,” he says. “It’s not a designated business zone, but I had to find a way to support my family of eight. There’s no point staying in a place where there’s no business.”

Some have tried to rent out their shops, but with little success. Mr Msomi recalls how he attempted to sublet his empty kiosk, but no one was interested.

The terminal’s management acknowledges the problem but attributes it to poor product diversity among traders. “Some traders take kiosks but don’t operate. If there were more variety, more customers would come,” one of the leaders at the terminal explained.

He added that rents are currently set at Sh450,000 for ground-floor shops, Sh300,000 for the upper floor, and Sh60,000 for smaller kiosks. However, with such high vacancy rates, it’s clear that few see the value in these spaces.

What went wrong?

Experts argue that despite the ambitious construction of modern terminals in Tanzania, there is a gap in understanding how to effectively manage and utilise these facilities.

“Building infrastructure is important, but the government needs to consider how people access and use these areas,” says a marketing expert from the University of Dodoma, Mr Msheri Shabani, “The problem lies in management – municipal authorities focus on collecting taxes without thinking practically about attracting business.”

Shabani believes that private-sector management could be a solution, allowing for better strategies to ensure such facilities thrive. “Municipalities should hand over large projects like this to private investors, who will be more motivated to make them profitable,” he suggests.

Others point to the success of other bus terminals, such as Msamvu Bus Terminal in Morogoro, as proof that strategic location plays a key role.

“Msamvu is successful because it’s in a place where business interactions are constant. Nane Nane, on the other hand, hasn’t fully benefited from Dodoma’s expansion,” says urban planning expert Husna Mboni, from Ardhi University.

But there is hope. As Dodoma continues to grow and the SGR project expands, some argue that the terminal’s fortunes may change.

The SGR station has already drawn many businesses away from Nane Nane, and the proximity of this major railway project could eventually bring more passengers and traders back to the terminal.

The SGR alternative

For now, the SGR project has created a more attractive alternative for businesses. Entrepreneurs like Msomi have moved closer to the SGR station, where there is a higher concentration of travellers and business opportunities.

“I saw the potential of the SGR station, and it’s been much better for me. I couldn’t wait around for Nane Nane to improve,” he says.

Still, the terminal’s problems are not unique to Dodoma. Dar es Salaam’s Magufuli Bus Terminal faces similar challenges, with bus operators preferring smaller, more convenient locations closer to the city centre.

Many traders in both cities have found that large, modern terminals are simply not suited to the current flow of passengers and goods.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan once called for creative solutions to make these non-performing projects beneficial to the people. During one of her speeches last year, she emphasised the need for better management and more innovative uses of government infrastructure.

However, as traders like Msomi have learned, action on such calls has been slow.

Some experts believe that with better planning and management, the Nane Nane Bus Terminal can eventually live up to its potential. But for now, it remains a symbol of unmet expectations—a costly investment that has yet to bring the benefits it promised.

“We need to rethink how we approach projects like this,” says Mr Shabani. “It’s not just about building impressive structures. It’s about ensuring they are accessible, functional, and meet the needs of the people.”