Youth empowerment and the making of tomorrow’s leaders

DAR ES SALAAM: A country’s future is often discussed in terms of economic growth, infrastructure, technology and investment. But behind all these ambitions is a less visible resource that can determine whether development plans succeed or fail people with the skills, values and capacity to turn ideas into action.

For Tanzania, that resource is increasingly its young population. The country is entering a period in which the size and influence of young people will have a profound effect on its economic, social and political future.

The challenge is therefore not simply to have a large youth population, but to ensure that young people are healthy, skilled, confident and capable of contributing meaningfully to the decisions that shape their communities and country.

This is where youth empowerment, particularly leadership development, becomes critical. According to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says more than 60 per cent of Tanzanians are below the age of 24, while the 2022 Population and Housing Census recorded a national population of 61.7 million.

Tanzania’s population is also projected to reach about 123.4 million by 2044 if the current growth rate continues. These numbers point to something much bigger than demographics. They point to a generation that will increasingly determine the direction of Tanzania’s economy, institutions and communities.

UNFPA has described this youthful population as a major opportunity for Tanzania to achieve a demographic dividend, but stresses that such a dividend does not happen automatically. It requires deliberate investment in education, health, employment, governance and the development of human capital.

A young person who is taught how to communicate effectively, organize others, analyses problems, make decisions and take responsibility is better positioned to respond to challenges in their community rather than simply waiting for someone else to provide solutions.

This is particularly important because many of the challenges facing communities are not solved by government institutions alone.

Issues such as unemployment, environmental degradation, poor access to information, social exclusion, education challenges and community health require people who can identify problems, bring others together and develop practical responses.

Recent experience in Tanzania provides an example of what meaningful youth participation can look like. Through an initiative supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund and implemented with HakiElimu, schools in six districts have been working to strengthen young people's participation in democratic processes.

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Some schools introduced democratic elections for student leaders, while others established opinion boxes and student clubs to give young people greater opportunities to express themselves and participate in leadership.
Such experiences may appear small, but they can help young people learn some of the foundations of leadership before they enter wider society.

They learn that leadership involves listening, representing others, making choices, accepting responsibility and being accountable for decisions. These are skills that can later be transferred into workplaces, businesses, civil
society organisations, government institutions and communities. The value of youth empowerment also lies in the ability of young people to connect leadership with practical action.

A trained young leader can mobilize fellow young people to clean a neighborhood, establish an environmental initiative, support vulnerable members of a community, promote education, create a small enterprise or advocate for better services. This becomes even more significant when considered alongside Tanzania Development Vision 2050.

The Vision places human capital development, productivity, innovation and inclusive transformation among the foundations of the country’s long-term development ambitions. Its targets include building a highly skilled workforce capable of meeting changing demands in local and global markets.

The Vision also recognizes the country's substantial youth population as an opportunity for developing human capital through investment in education, culture and other areas that can empower young people.
This means that Vision 2050 cannot be separated from the development of today’s young generation.

The people who will be working in Tanzania’s hospitals, schools, companies, laboratories, farms, media organizations, technology firms, public institutions and businesses in the coming decades are already growing up today. Young people need communication skills, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving, negotiation, digital competence and an understanding of ethics and accountability.

In March 2026, the World Bank approved a $300 million Education and Skills for Productive Jobs programme aimed at strengthening Tanzania’s skills-development systems so that more young people can graduate with job-relevant skills and access better employment opportunities. The programme is expected to form part of a wider effort benefiting millions of Tanzanians through skills, employment pathways and social protection.

A young person who can communicate, collaborate, solve problems and take initiative is better equipped not only to find opportunities but also to create them. This is particularly important in an economy where young people are expected to become entrepreneurs, innovators and contributors to new industries rather than
depending entirely on traditional employment.

Tanzania is already seeing a stronger focus on creating spaces where young people can participate in development.

In February 2026, the United Nations Development Programme in Tanzania launched its Youth Advisory Panel to strengthen the involvement of young people in advisory and decision-making processes. The initiative reflects a broader shift towards recognizing youth as contributors to development rather than simply as beneficiaries of programmes.

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UNDP’s current Youth Catalyst initiative similarly identifies young people under 35 as a major national opportunity and focuses on youth-led enterprises, meaningful participation in decision-making, skills, resilience and leadership capacity.

The second cohort of the Tanzania NextGen Leaders Fellowship, or TNLF Cohort 2, was launched at the University of Dar es Salaam under the theme “Empowering Tanzania’s Next Generation of Multisectoral Leaders towards Vision 2050.” The programme is implemented by African Leadership Initiatives for Impact (ALII) in collaboration with HakiElimu, with support from the Embassy of Ireland in Tanzania, Norwegian Church Aid and UTT AMIS.

The launch brought together approximately 100 young people selected for the second cohort, alongside government representatives, experts, development partners and other stakeholders. Rather than viewing the event simply as another youth programme, its significance lies in the wider question it raises on how can Tanzania transform its large youth population into a generation capable of contributing meaningfully to national
development.

It will require sustained investment in education, skills, employment, health, innovation, entrepreneurship and meaningful participation. They are already workers, entrepreneurs, students, innovators, community
organizers, creatives and citizens making decisions that affect the country. Tanzania's demographic reality gives the country a powerful opportunity, but also places a responsibility on institutions to ensure that young people are prepared to use that opportunity effectively.

Vision 2050 will ultimately be measured not only by economic indicators, infrastructure or technological advancement, but also by the quality of the people capable of sustaining those achievements. And when young people are equipped with knowledge, values, skills, confidence and genuine opportunities to lead, their impact can extend far beyond their individual success.

They can influence families, strengthen communities, improve institutions, create enterprises, develop solutions and contribute to national transformation. And one of its most important investments may be the decision to ensure that Tanzania’s young people are not simply prepared for the future, but empowered to help build it.