A technical mission from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has visited Tanzania to review the progress of transport projects it finances and to explore further cooperation in infrastructure and sustainable development.
The delegation met representatives of Tanzania’s Ministry of Finance, the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS), regional authorities and project stakeholders, Zawya reported on November 11.
Discussions centered on how improved transport links can support economic activity, connect communities with regional markets, and expand access to services and opportunities. The mission also assessed implementation progress on the Uvinza–Ilunde–Malagarasi Road Project, financed by ADFD with about $15 million.
The project involves reconstructing and upgrading about 51 km of road in the Kigoma Region. It is designed to ease the movement of people and goods, strengthen local connectivity and improve access to economic opportunities for communities along the route.
ADFD’s project information notes that the road forms part of a wider corridor linking Dar es Salaam with the lake port town of Kigoma, with broader links toward Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The visit also highlighted ADFD’s longer-term role in Tanzania’s transport network. In 2009, the Fund allocated $46 million to the Kidahwe–Uvinza Road, a 76-kilometre route that was upgraded and officially opened in 2015. ADFD says the road serves at least one million people in Kigoma Region and reduced the driving distance between Kigoma and Dar es Salaam by 300 km.
The development partnership between ADFD and Tanzania dates back to 1977. Since then, the Fund has financed six projects in the country, with total grants and loans of $63.4 million across transport, energy, industry, water and other development sectors.
