Category: The Citizen

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s financial market reforms and progress were highlighted on Thursday as Absa Bank Tanzania launched the Absa Africa Financial Markets Index (AFMI) 2025. Now in its ninth year, the Index benchmarks financial market development across 29 African economies, covering around 80 percent of the continent’s population and GDP.

It assesses countries across six pillars, including market depth, transparency, access to foreign exchange, pension fund development, macroeconomic stability and legal enforceability. The 2025 report noted progress across Africa despite global economic headwinds, with reforms in transparency, regulatory clarity, product diversification and digital innovation emerging as key drivers of resilience.

For Tanzania, the Index highlighted notable gains in product diversity, expanding investment options and keeping pace with global trends. Milestones include the launch of the government’s first sovereign Sukuk bond through a special purpose vehicle in February 2025, following its inaugural public Sukuk bond in 2023. The seven-year bond aims to fund infrastructure and social development projects, giving Tanzania access to Shariah-compliant capital.

The Samia infrastructure bond, issued in 2025, was oversubscribed by 115 percent, raising Sh323 billion against a target of Sh150 billion. This, the survey says, augments the government’s strategy of having diversified sources of funding that attract investors with different ethical backgrounds, facilitating financial inclusion.

Authorities have further addressed tax distortions by equalising withholding tax rates across maturities and strengthened the financial system with a local annex to the Global Master Repurchase Agreement (GMRA), interbank market guidelines and legal reforms easing restrictions on netting and title transfer. Non-performing loans improved to 3.

3 percent, among the lowest in the region alongside Egypt. The launch, a high-level corporate breakfast, was officiated by the Director of Financial Markets at the Bank of Tanzania, Mr Emmanuel Akaro who represented the Governor, Mr Emmanuel Tutuba.

In his remarks, the CEO of Absa Bank Tanzania, Mr Obedi Laiser, emphasised the importance of robust, transparent financial markets for sustainable economic growth. “The Absa Africa Financial Markets Index provides an objective, evidence-based view of how African markets are evolving,” he said.

Mr Akaro welcomed the report as a valuable policy tool. “It highlights Tanzania’s strengths in macroeconomic stability and transparency, while identifying areas for improvement, including local investor participation, pension fund development, and legal and institutional frameworks,” he said.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment, under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, to advancing reforms that deepen markets, expand financial instruments, and align Tanzania’s system with international best practice. Speaking for Absa Bank Tanzania Chairman, Mr Paul Makanza, a director, Lulu Ngw’anakilala, speaking for praised the quality of discussions.

“AFMI 2025 shows progress but reminds us that continued collaboration between government, regulators, financial institutions and the private sector is essential to building deeper, inclusive markets,” she said. The launch concluded with a panel discussion featuring representatives from Absa Group, Public Service Social Security Fund (PSSSF), Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA) and Jubilee Life Insurance, exploring practical ways to accelerate Tanzania’s financial market development in line with AFMI 2025 insights.

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Soon after her inauguration, the President promised to fulfill a number of tasks within one hundred days of taking office. She made her promises in her speech while inaugurating new Parliament.

From November last year to January this year one hundred days are beckoning and already a timetable has been published showing the dates (between 24 January and 3 February) when 10 honourable ministers are required to tell us the public, how their sector ministries have fulfilled the President’s promises of what should have been addressed now. If you are like me, you may have asked yourself, why 100 days? Why not more, why not less? I have done some research and seem to have decoded the tradition of “the first 100 days”, a concept originally used in the United States, but now adopted in many countries.

The Tanzanian President has also decided to adopt that tradition, but to get the understanding, we need to go back to 1932, surely a long time back. The first 100 days concept began in the presidency of Franklin D.

Roosevelt on March 4, 1933, the day Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd president of the United States.

The United States, but indeed, the whole of the industrialised world, was suffering from what got to be known as the Great Depression. During the Presidential campaign Mr Roosevelt had had signaled his intention to move with unprecedented speed to address the problems facing the nation in his inaugural address, declaring that he was prepared under his constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world may require.

The new President’s specific priorities at the outset of his presidency were getting Americans back to work (employment), protecting their savings and creating prosperity, providing relief for the sick and elderly, and getting industry and agriculture back on their feet. The “First 100 Days” originated from Franklin D.

Roosevelt (FDR)’s presidency in 1933, when he utilized a special congressional session, lasting around 100 days to rapidly pass 15 major pieces of New Deal legislation to combat the Great Depression. Coined by FDR in a July 1933 radio address, it became a, benchmark for evaluating new U.

S. leaders’ effectiveness.

Taking office during the height of the Great Depression, FDR faced a, banking crisis that required immediate, decisive action. Between March 9 and June 17, 1933, the US Congress passed numerous measures, including the Emergency Banking Act (to rescue the banking system that had literary collapsed), Emergency Conservation Work Act (jobs), and Federal Emergency Relief Act, to stabilize the economy.

Although it referred to the special session, FDR formalized the phrase in a radio address on July 24, 1933, to describe the intensive, early, period of his administration. He immediately summoned the United States Congress into a three-month (nearly 100-day) special session, during which he presented and was able to rapidly get passed a series of 15 major bills designed to counter the effects of the Great Depression.

With President Roosevelt’s urging, Congress passed 77 laws during his first 100 days as well, many directed towards reviving the economy of the United States through various public works projects. Following Roosevelt’s three terms in office (and just under three months of a fourth term), many other presidents also made significant decisions during their first 100 days.

Roosevelt signed 99 executive orders in his first 100 days. This approach also gave credence to what is now known as Keynesian Economics, where the government intervenes fundamentally in the running of the economy to ensure stability, economic growth and equity.

Franklin D. Roosevelt spent the first week of his presidency dealing with a month-long series of bank closures that were ruining families nationwide.

He closed the entire American banking system on March 6, 1933. On March 9, Congress passed the Emergency Banking Act, which Roosevelt used to effectively create federal deposit insurance when the banks reopened. At 10 p.

m. ET that Sunday night, on the eve of the end of the bank holiday, Roosevelt spoke to a radio audience of more than 60 million people, to tell them in clear language “what has been done in the last few days, why it was done, and what the next steps are going to be.

” It was the first of 30 evening radio addresses to the Nation. From the above simplified summary, the US President FDR, took definite steps to address the ailments that the country was suffering from.

Historians agree that the President’s actions resulted into a “remarkable turnaround in the public’s confidence”. So, as the Honourable Ministers tell us what has been done in the 100 days after the President’s new term, we expect, not new promises, but actual steps taken and leading to a change into public confidence.

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Mbeya. Police in Mbeya have detained the Secretary of the opposition Chadema in Rungwe District, Mr Award Karonga, over allegations of criminal offences, including incitement.

Karonga, who also serves as Deputy National Chairperson of the party’s youth wing, was reportedly arrested Friday, 30 January, in Katumba, Ibighi-Tukuyu Ward, Rungwe District. According to a statement by Mbeya Regional Police Commander Benjamin Kuzaga, Karonga is being held on multiple charges, including incitement.

“The suspect was arrested at 4:00 a.m.

in Katumba. Investigations are ongoing and will inform further legal action against him,” the statement said.

The statement further read: “The Mbeya Regional Police have arrested and detained Award Karonga, a resident of Katumba, who serves as Chadema Secretary for Rungwe District and Deputy National Chairperson of the party’s youth wing, on multiple charges including incitement. He was arrested on 29 January and investigations are being finalised to enable legal proceedings.

” Speaking on the matter, Chadema Mbeya Regional Secretary Hamad Mbeyale said the party received news of the detention and condemned what he described as a continued pattern of arbitrary arrests of party leaders. “After his detention, he was searched at his home in Tukuyu before being taken to the central police station.

His family, relatives, friends, and party officials are closely following up,” Mbeyale said. He added: “We have met with him but are yet to be informed of the reasons for his detention.

We strongly condemn these recurring acts of arresting our leaders. It should be noted that he is a National Youth Chairperson.

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By Katare Mbashiru Dodoma. The government has unveiled plans to expand markets and introduce improved harvesting technology for grasshoppers, locally known as senene, a popular seasonal delicacy and a key source of income for traders in Tanzania’s Lake Zone.

The Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade, Mr Denis Londo, announced the initiatives in Parliament on Friday, January 30, 2026, while responding to a question from Bukoba Urban MP, Mr Johnston Mutasigwa, on measures to help grasshopper traders access better markets and modern trapping equipment. Mr Londo said the government is working to identify and open reliable domestic and regional markets for grasshopper products.

The efforts include linking traders to major urban markets, facilitating participation in national and regional trade fairs, and promoting senene as a distinctive Lake Zone product with strong potential in the wider East African market. “The government recognises the economic value of the grasshopper trade and is taking deliberate steps to ensure traders benefit from stable and expanded markets,” he told Parliament.

He added that the government, through the Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO), in collaboration with the Commission for Science and Technology (Costech) and the Vocational Education and Training Authority (Veta), has been conducting research to modernise the grasshopper business in Kagera Region. “As a result, a simple prototype technology has been designed to assist in harvesting,” Mr Londo said, noting that the innovation is expected to improve efficiency, reduce losses and enhance product quality.

Grasshoppers are widely consumed in north-western Tanzania, particularly in Kagera, and provide livelihoods for many households during harvesting seasons. Mr Mutasigwa said the government’s interventions would help transform the largely informal trade into a more organised and profitable value chain.

He welcomed the response, saying improved equipment and reliable markets would significantly raise incomes for small-scale traders and collectors. The ministry, Mr Londo said, will continue working with relevant institutions and private sector players to further develop the grasshopper industry as part of broader efforts to promote agro-processing and small-scale industries.

Cashew factory revival Meanwhile, the government has said an investor is in the early stages of preparations to reopen the long-idle cashew nut processing factory in Tunduru District, following directives by President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Mr Londo disclosed this while responding to a# question from Tunduru MP, Mr Ado Shaibu, on the implementation of the President’s instructions to restore operations at the plant.

He said the investor, identified as Mr Sunil Kamath, is undertaking initial preparations aimed at reopening the factory and restoring production. “The ministry is working closely with the investor to ensure the factory resumes operations and is developed in line with market needs,” he said, adding that ongoing engagement is addressing technical, financial and operational requirements.

The revival of the Tunduru factory is expected to provide a reliable market for cashew farmers in the district and neighbouring areas, reduce post-harvest losses and increase incomes through local value addition. For years, farmers in southern Tanzania have called for the reopening of processing facilities to reduce reliance on raw nut exports and strengthen the domestic cashew industry.

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting agro-processing as part of its industrialisation agenda and efforts to strengthen agricultural value chains nationwide. .

Hong Kong/Beijing. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to China has handed Beijing a diplomatic win in its rivalry with Washington, but the agreements he secured also underscore the limits middle powers face when trying to balance relations between China and the United States.

Starmer’s trip follows a similar visit by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who struck a trade deal with Beijing before heading to Davos to promote a new global trade order as U.S.

President Donald Trump disrupts long-standing alliances. European leaders, India’s Narendra Modi and others have also visited China since Trump began his second term a year ago.

However, analysts say it remains unclear what lasting economic or security benefits such visits bring for Western countries. “Traditional U.

S. allies feel hard done by and are now hedging their bets, but they are far from being able or willing to substitute China for the United States,” said John Quelch, an expert in global strategy at Duke Kunshan University.

From the perspective of London, Ottawa and other capitals, the visits are seen as a signal to Trump that alternatives exist if Washington maintains pressure on issues ranging from Greenland to renegotiating the USMCA trade deal. But Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Natixis, described the efforts as “superficial gestures amid stalled global growth”.

“These visits highlight the severe limits of any ‘pivot’ to China,” she said. “They expose middle powers’ vulnerability, chasing scraps while China’s export flood overwhelms their industries.

” Analysts say the visits also strengthen Beijing’s narrative of China as a reliable partner, contrasting with what they describe as Trump’s unpredictable tariff policies and mounting demands on both allies and rivals. “President Trump’s efforts to decouple the United States from China are also decoupling the United States from the world,” Quelch added.

Wins on visas and trade During the trip, Starmer secured 30-day visa-free travel for Britons visiting China and lower tariffs on whisky. British drugmaker AstraZeneca also announced a $15 billion investment in the country.

However, he achieved little beyond what officials described as “frank dialogue” on sensitive issues, including China’s stance on Taiwan, its closer ties with Russia following the Ukraine war, and a rights crackdown in Hong Kong. Politicians in Britain and the United States criticised the visit, raising concerns over espionage and human rights abuses, allegations Beijing denies.

Similarly, Carney left China expecting tariff reductions on products such as canola, lobsters, crabs and peas, but the move prompted threats of 100 percent tariffs from Trump, who warned Ottawa against allowing Chinese electric vehicles into North America. Even before Starmer concluded his visit, Trump cautioned Britain that doing business with Beijing was risky after the prime minister highlighted the economic benefits of resetting ties with China.

Trade imbalances persist China’s imports last year were flat at $2.6 trillion, largely driven by energy and commodities from emerging markets rather than the West. At the same time, its trade surplus rose by a fifth to a record $1.2 trillion as manufacturers expanded exports to other markets in response to U.

S. tariffs.

Exports to the European Union increased 8.4 percent while imports dipped 0.

4 percent. Shipments to Britain rose 7.

8 percent while purchases fell 4.7 percent.

With Canada, exports grew 3.2 percent while imports dropped 10.4 percent.

Eswar Prasad, a former International Monetary Fund China director, said deeper trade integration with China poses risks for countries seeking to protect or expand domestic manufacturing. “This makes it an especially risky proposition for countries trying to protect or grow their own manufacturing industries to substantially increase trade integration with China,” he said.

“China hardly provides a safe harbour for countries trying to cope with the adverse economic effects of U.S.

tariffs.” Some analysts argue that for countries like Britain or Canada, resetting strained ties may be the most realistic outcome, particularly given previous supply chain dependencies on China.

Still, Noah Barkin, a Europe-China expert at the German Marshall Fund and Rhodium Group, described the visits as “a propaganda coup for Beijing”. “This is not a pivot to China.

It is about reducing tension with Beijing,” he said. “No country wants to be in open conflict with the two superpowers at the same time.

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By Nipael Mrutu A number of times, I have received requests that stay with me long after the conversation ends. A young person often with a university degree or a college certificate will call or send a message requesting for assistance to acquire employment.

Sometimes the request comes from heartbroken parents who have sacrificed for years, selling land, taking loans, or cutting family needs to pay tuition fees. With a trembling voice, they ask if anyone in my network can help their child secure employment.

Each time, I pause, not because I don’t want to help, but because the request reveals a painful truth for many Tanzanian youth education has become an expensive journey with no guaranteed destination. As we commemorate the International Day of Education under the theme The Power of Youth in Co-creating Education, it is important to ask difficult but necessary questions.

What kind of education are we offering our young people? And why are so many graduates leaving institutions with certificates, yet struggling to translate learning into livelihood? At its best, education should equip learners to understand their world and respond to it. It should help young people master their environment not in the sense of controlling nature, but in the sense of being able to identify challenges, think critically, collaborate and create solutions that improve their lives and their communities.

But in many cases, our education system still prepares young people mainly for examinations. Learning becomes the memorisation of content, repeating notes and aiming for grades.

Yet the world outside the classroom demands more adaptability, creativity, communication, digital competence and the confidence to create opportunities not only to search for them. When a young graduate’s greatest hope is that someone will open a door, it signals not only an economic crisis, but also an educational one.

If education is to become relevant and empowering, youth must be included as partners in shaping it. Not as invited guests at a conference, not as token representatives in a meeting but as real contributors to decisions about curriculum, teaching and learning environments.

In Tanzania, this could begin with youth advisory councils at school, district and national levels, where young people speak honestly about what is working and what is not. Youth are best positioned to tell us: Which parts of learning feel disconnected from real life? Which skills do we need but are not being taught? What kinds of support would help us transition into the world of work? Co-creation also means shifting from learning that is content-heavy to learning that is problem-driven and community-based.

Imagine learners designing projects that address real Tanzanian challenges such as waste management, climate resilience, food security, small business development, public health awareness, or innovative solutions in agriculture and tourism. Such experiences build practical skills and entrepreneurial thinking and restore meaning to education.

We must also accept that learning today is happening beyond classrooms. Young people learn from peers, communities and increasingly through digital spaces.

Social media is no longer only entertainment it is where youth share ideas, build influence and shape culture. The question is not whether youth are learning online, they already are.

The question is whether education systems recognise and guide this learning to build a more empowered generation? Social media could be used intentionally to support learning in areas that schools often neglect, such as financial literacy, entrepreneurship, investment education, career guidance, digital skills and civic responsibility. Many young people are hungry to understand how money works, saving, investing, budgeting, building income streams, yet this knowledge is rarely taught formally.

If we want to reduce youth unemployment, we must stop treating such learning as optional and start seeing it as essential. Co-creating education also requires removing inequalities that prevent youth from thriving.

Access must go beyond enrolment. It must include access to quality teaching, mentorship, technology, safe learning environments and opportunities to explore skills relevant to today’s economy.

When inequality blocks opportunity, we lose innovators, job creators and community problem solvers. If we truly believe in the power of youth, then we must be ready to share power in education.

We should listen to youth more, not as complainers, but as co-designers of solutions. We can for example redesign learning to connect with the realities of work, livelihood and community needs.

We can embrace digital spaces as legitimate learning platforms. We can build an education system that prepares young people not only to pass exams, but to create value and shape the future.

Because the future of education should not be something we deliver to youth. It is something we build with them.

Dr Nipael Mrutu is an Assistant Professor at the Aga Khan University Institute for Education Development East Africa .

Geneva. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the global body is facing an “imminent financial collapse” due to unpaid membership contributions and budget rules that require the organisation to return unspent funds.

In a letter to ambassadors dated January 28, Guterres said the worsening cash crisis is threatening programme delivery and could severely affect the UN’s operations. “The crisis is deepening, threatening programme delivery and risking financial collapse.

And the situation will deteriorate further in the near future,” he wrote. The UN is grappling with financial strain after its largest contributor, the United States, reduced voluntary funding to several UN agencies and declined to fully meet its mandatory payments to the organisation’s regular and peacekeeping budgets.

Guterres noted that some member states have formally announced decisions not to honour assessed contributions that finance a significant share of the approved regular budget. It was not immediately clear which countries he was referring to, and a UN spokesperson was unavailable for comment.

He warned that unless all member states pay their dues in full and on time, or the organisation overhauls its financial rules, the UN could run out of cash by July. “Either all Member States honour their obligations to pay in full and on time, or Member States must fundamentally overhaul our financial rules to prevent an imminent financial collapse,” he said.

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Johannesburg. South Africa on Friday declared the top diplomat at Israel’s embassy persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country within 72 hours, a move that could further strain Pretoria’s relations with the United States.

Israel swiftly responded by expelling South Africa’s senior diplomatic representative, Minister Shaun Edward Byneveldt, also declaring him persona non grata and giving him the same deadline to depart. Relations between the two countries have been tense since South Africa filed a genocide case against Israel over its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

Israel has dismissed the case as baseless. The legal action has also drawn criticism from U.

S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked Pretoria, including through verbal rebukes, trade sanctions and an executive order last year cutting all U.

S. funding to South Africa.

Accusations over offensive social media posts South Africa’s foreign ministry said it ordered Israeli charge d’affaires Ariel Seidman to leave over what it described as “unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice,” including insulting President Cyril Ramaphosa on social media. The ministry did not specify which posts caused offence, but one post on X in November by the Israeli embassy account read: “A rare moment of wisdom and diplomatic clarity from President Ramaphosa.

” Pretoria also accused Seidman of a “deliberate failure” to inform authorities about visits by senior Israeli officials. In response, Israel’s foreign ministry said on X that it was expelling South Africa’s representative “following South Africa’s false attacks against Israel in the international arena and the unilateral, baseless step taken against (Israel’s) Charge d’Affaires.

” In 2023, South African lawmakers voted to close the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspend diplomatic ties over the war in Gaza, although the decision was never implemented. “We do hope that the Israeli embassy will engage with us in a respectful manner, and that they will send someone who will engage respectfully and who will uphold and pursue diplomacy.

That is what we intend to do,” said Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for South Africa’s foreign ministry, speaking to television channel Newzroom Afrika. .

Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has appointed several senior government and public institution leaders, naming new heads at the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA), Muhimbili National Hospital and the Tanzania Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (TEITI).

In a statement issued on Wednesday, January 29, by the Chief Secretary, Ambassador Dr Moses Kusiluka, the President announced the appointments as part of ongoing leadership changes in key institutions. Dr Rahma Salim Mahfoudh has been appointed Deputy Governor in charge of Administration and Internal Control at the Bank of Tanzania.

She replaces Mr Julian Banzi Raphael, whose term has come to an end. The appointment places Dr Mahfoudh among the top leadership at the central bank, which plays a critical role in the country’s monetary and financial stability.

At the Tanzania Meteorological Authority, Dr Ladislaus Benedict Chan’ga has been confirmed as Director General after serving in the position in an acting capacity. His appointment formalises his leadership at the agency responsible for weather forecasting and climate services.

President Samia has also appointed Prof Muhammad Bakari Kambi as the new Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Muhimbili National Hospital. Prof Kambi takes over from Dr Ellen Mkondya Senkoro, who has completed her term.

Muhimbili is the country’s national referral hospital and a key pillar of the health system. In the extractives sector, Ambassador Wilson Kajumula Masilingi has been named Chairperson of the Tanzania Extractive Industries Transparency and Accountability Initiative (TEITI), which oversees transparency and accountability in the management of mineral, oil and natural gas resources.

He replaces CPA Ludovick Utouh, whose term has also ended. The appointments were announced by the Director of Presidential Communications, Mr Bakari S.

Machumu. .

Dar es Salaam. For years, Tanzania’s education debate has focused on classrooms, teachers’ welfare and examination results.

Yet beneath all these lies a quieter but more decisive question: can children actually read, write and count well enough in their early years to cope with learning later on? It is this concern that has pushed the government to launch a new national strategy aimed at strengthening reading, writing and arithmetic for children in pre-primary, Standard One and Standard Two. Launched by President Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday, the strategy seeks to fix learning gaps early before they become permanent obstacles.

At the launch, President Hassan was clear that no country can build a skilled workforce on weak foundations. “We can invest in infrastructure, knowledge and technology, but if we fail to strengthen the early foundation of teaching our children, we will be building on weak ground,” she said.

The Head of State warned that poor mastery of basic skills at an early stage often explains why some graduates struggle later despite years spent in school. The initiative comes against the backdrop of curriculum reforms that extended compulsory education to 10 years.

According to the President, these reforms would mean little if children fail to grasp basic literacy and numeracy in their first years of schooling. “That is why this strategy is critical,” she said, adding that it also fulfils Tanzania’s commitments under global and regional frameworks such as SDG 4, the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and SADC and EAC education guidelines.

At its core, the strategy is science-driven and inclusive. It draws on years of research, much of it conducted since 2015, which revealed that while many pupils perform well, a significant number fall behind early and never fully catch up.

Rapid technological change has only widened this gap, especially between urban and rural schools. Education minister Adolf Mkenda said the strategy fulfils a promise made by President Hassan during the 2025 General Election campaigns and later in Parliament.

“Today, the government has delivered on that promise, even before the first 100 days have ended,” he said. Prof Mkenda explained that the strategy rests on five pillars.

The first is improving classroom teaching through continuous professional development and closer supervision of how early grades are taught. The second focuses on teachers’ preparation and involvement, particularly in developing teaching and learning materials.

Third is ensuring that learning tools are accessible in all areas, including remote communities. The fourth pillar is assessment.

“Assessment is part of science,” Prof Mkenda noted. “We must regularly measure how well learners are mastering these skills so we can intervene early.

” The fifth pillar emphasises parental and community involvement, recognising that learning does not stop at the classroom door. He also stressed that reforms would fail without strong quality assurance, promising to strengthen education inspection systems.

Data from the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA) highlights why early intervention is urgent. NECTA’s Executive Secretary, Prof Said Mohamed, said assessment results from the 2023 national assessment show mixed progress.

While 78.92 percent of pupils performed well in reading, only 69.63 percent met the required writing standards and just 62.56 percent did so in arithmetic. “This shows that a significant number of pupils are still not reaching the expected competence, especially in writing and numeracy,” Prof Mohamed said.

He added that between 2021 and 2023, more than a third of pupils fell below expected levels, with clear disparities between urban and rural areas. Without early action, he warned, these gaps persist into Standard Three and beyond, making learning more difficult and costly to fix later.

“Investment in early grades yields the highest educational, social and economic returns,” he said. The strategy therefore promotes proven approaches such as Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL), play-based learning and continuous assessment, supported by data and ICT tools.

It also encourages partnerships with development stakeholders and stronger engagement of parents and communities in supporting children’s learning and wellbeing. Challenges remain.

Teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and uneven access to learning materials could slow implementation. Sustained funding, coordination across local governments and effective monitoring will be crucial.

Still, education experts agree that shifting focus to early learning is a step in the right direction. As President Hassan put it, “A child who masters reading, writing and arithmetic early develops the ability to understand new knowledge, think critically and participate fully in learning.

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