Samia: India reliable ally

She said that India’s actions have demonstrated its justification for the confidence, which includes its support of the African Union’s (AU) entry as a permanent member of the G-20. President Hassan highlighted that during the second day of her state visit to India, which started on October 8 and is expected to end today.

“We trust India’s leadership not because of its sheer size and economy, but because of its historical contribution and moral standing. India has remained truthful and loyal to the cause of the Global South and the developing countries in general,” she said.

President Hassan said the country’s decision to open the first overseas campus of the India Institute of Technology in Zanzibar is also a demonstration of its desire to export its success in skills development and technologies to Africa.

Other areas of cooperation, she said, include the fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean, the regulation and conservation of shared marine resources (through the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission-OTC), and standing up against unfair trade propositions in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

India’s commitment to supporting the green transition will be another area of convergence for the Indo-Africa partnership.

“India being the world’s fifth largest producer of solar power and the world’s second cheapest solar power, it stands a chance to impact Africa positively in terms of green energy transition,” asserted President Hassan.

The President also stated that there is no excuse why India is not yet Tanzania’s number one trade partner and investment source.

India is Tanzania’s 4th largest trading partner, with trading volume over the past five years surging from $2.6 billion in 2017/2018 to $6.5 billion by the end of 2022/2023. The country is also a top-five investment source for Tanzania, with 631 investment projects worth $3.7 billion.

She revealed that these economic discussions were among the key issues she talked about with Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as both leaders decided to announce the start of a strategic partnership. “To give a strong emphasis to our resolve, we have decided to elevate our relationship into a new strategic partnership anchored in four pillars: maritime security, defence cooperation, development cooperation, and trade and investment,” she said.

Honorary doctorate

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in India has, as of yesterday, conferred President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan with her first foreign honorary doctorate.

This honorary doctorate is second to the one she was conferred locally last year from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM).

This prestigious recognition highlights her contributions and accomplishments in various fields and also serves as a symbol of the strong ties between Tanzania and India.

According to JNU’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, the Tanzanian founding father, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, also received an honorary doctorate from the university in 1995. “JNU is among India’s top universities and also one of the top in the international ranking. We have also produced two Nobel Prize winners,” she said.

Speaking on her honorary doctorate, the President said: “I reflected on my childhood as a girl child in predominantly African and Muslim communities, a daughter born by a housewife and fathered by a teacher who had little chance and no hope of becoming the President of Tanzania, especially given my education journey where I studied higher education while working”.

“I never dreamt of having a prefix before my name. But today I have it. Late alone having that prefix coming from a prestigious university that is miles away from home,” she said.