GRAND PLANS FOR MTWARA’S INDUSTRIALISATION

Mtwara port. Mtwara. Mtwara is not yet an industrial hub, having been bypassed by the government in the post-independence, state-led industrialisation efforts of the 1960s and 1970s. The only industrial activity that ever existed was cashew nut processing factories, some of which have since collapsed.
But that could change. The town now displays signs of a fast growing town, with a vibrant economy and the dynamism that is too easy to see even for first time visitors.
For a town the size of Mtwara there are already too many commercial banks; ten in total. And more are coming. The biggest three - NBC, NMB, CRDB - together with the Postal Bank and Exim bank were among the first to establish branches. Others which have opened branches in the last two to three years include Ecobank, Diamond Trust, BOA, CBA and People’s Bank of Zanzibar. This is, obviously, an indication of the town’s extent of money circulation.
Most of the buildings under construction are large hotels, residential apartments and office blocks. The Bank of Tanzania is building what is perhaps the largest branch outside of Dar es Salaam. The modern houses and bungalows springing up in upmarket suburbs such as Shangani is a witness of Mtwara’s rising purchasing power.
According to chairman of the Mtwara chamber of commerce, industries and Trade Mr Swallah Said Swallah, at least six new lodges and guest houses open in Mtwara every month.
The natural gas activities by multinationals in offshore Mtwara and the starting of operations of the Dangote Cement factory have contributed, significantly, to the vibrancy of Mtwara.
And all it shows is that if well utilized the natural gas resources has the potential of transforming the town into Tanzania’s largest, post-modern industrial hub that could dominate markets far and beyond East Africa for years to come.
Whatever role Mtwara plays in future as Tanzania’s new industrial hub, however, depends on the implementation of the grand plans that the government has for the town. The infrastructure as it is now cannot support large industrial investments. Everything is to be built anew.
The good thing is that strategies have been put in place, consisting of an urban master plan and infrastructural plans. The master plan has already started being implemented. The master plan maps Mtwara town according to economic and social activities identifying industrial areas, residential areas, the central business district, services area and a logistic hub.
Failure to implement the master plan, however, would risk deferring hopes and expectations of making Mtwara an industrial town. This failure will most likely not be due to lack of enthusiasm and commitment.
Interactions with the regional government officials reveals their excitement about how the master plan seeks to transform Mtwara into the town of the future. They speak animatedly about how the gas economy is set to turn the south-east region around for the better of the people and the country.
Moreover the commitment and the desire to change Mtwara seems to come from the top. In the recent reshuffles of Regional Commissioners and Regional Administrative Secretaries President John Magufuli left those of Mtwara intact.
This could be explained as a way of maintain continuity, which is essential for implementation of various projects. But it remains to be seen if the central government will provide adequate financing to implement the master plan.
And thing that might simplify the implementation of the master plan is the fact that the Mtwara’s inaccessibility and slow growth in the first five decades since independence means that there remained huge unutilised open spaces within the town itself. Expanding the infrastructure and building other modern facilities will not require much demolitions and displacement of the people.

Mtwara urban master plan 2015-2035
The master plan covers an area that is equivalent to 95,117 hectares with a population of 170,000. In 2035 the population is expected to increase tenfold to 1.7 million. The total area covered by the masterplan include the current Mtwara town and nine additional wards that used to be part of the Mtwara district.
“The masterplan is designed to make Mtwara not only an industrial hub but also a competitive city of choice in the Indian Ocean South of Sahara, which can attract high-skilled people and all sorts of talents and creative minds,” Janepher Kimaro, Mtwara Regional Town Planner tells The Citizen. This will help diversify the city’s economy for a brighter future long after the natural gas exploitation is exhausted.
In the master plan Mtwara town is divided into five development clusters. These are Naumbu, Mjimwema, Nanguruwe, Ziwani and the central business district. All these clusters will have residential areas in additional to industrial, service zones, sports and tourism zones.
Naumbu, which will occupy an area of 17,608 ha will have a residential, industrial and tourism zones. In the next 20 years the area is expected to have the population of 240,000. Naumbu is found to the north of Mtwara town along the Dar es Salaam Mtwara highway. It also borders the ocean. The industrial zone in this cluster will occupy 4,630 hectares. At least 128 industrial sites of between 10 and 20 hectares each have been identified. Mtwara’s two existing cement companies, Dangote (1,630 hectares) and Ching Chan (320 hectares) are found in the Naumbu cluster. This means other industries to be built in the area will have to occupy the remaining 1280 hectares.
Nanguruwe, the largest of all clusters, is to be situated in the South-west of Mtwara town and will occupy 40,489 hectares. The population estimates in the next 20 years are 150,000 people. The cluster is landlocked and is set aside for urban agriculture, small agro-processing industries, health institutions and residences. While at least 880 hectares will be for about 176 factories each occupying five hectares another 18,515 will be for urban agricultural activities. The residential area will have 12,414 hectares. A garbage dump, a sports stadium and a golf course will occupy a total of 478 hectares. About 1135 ha are set aside for other investments. Educational and health institutions will have 111 hectares.
The central business district will occupy 2665 hectares and is projected to have a population of 123,120 in 2035.   

CREDIT: THE CITIZEN