President Samia Suluhu Hassan rose to power in March 2021 (AFP).

Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, announced that all of the country’s 14,000 villages have been supplied with power, with the final steps now focused on connecting consumers to the national grid.

She made the statement during the East African Community Heads of State Summit in Arusha, Tanzania, on Saturday, November 30, 2024.

“We have already supplied power to all 14,000 villages; now we are working on connecting consumers to the grid,” President Samia said.

She also highlighted Tanzania’s commitment to environmental conservation and climate change mitigation.

The country allocates 4-5% of its GDP to addressing climate change and environmental degradation.

However, President Samia noted that Tanzania loses around 400,000 acres of forest each year due to activities like lumbering, firewood collection, and charcoal production.

She says to combat this, Tanzania is actively pursuing an aggressive afforestation program, with each district tasked with planting 1.5 million trees annually.

“This transition to clean energy is a game changer, especially for our youth, who are now using electricity in rural areas to create self-employment, reducing the pressure of rural-urban migration,” she added.

On the country’s energy sources, President Samia stated that Tanzania’s electricity is primarily sourced from natural gas (50%), coal, and hydroelectric power, including the Julius Nyerere Hydro-electric Dam in southern Tanzania.

Furthermore, President Samia emphasized the government’s focus on youth employment, encouraging investment in sectors such as fishing, forestry, and crop and livestock production.