By A Inuwa
…..2,115MW Tanzania Power Project Highlights Egypt–Tanzania Partnership, Regional Energy Ambitions
The commissioning of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project in Tanzania has emerged as a major symbol of Egypt-Tanzania cooperation, with observers describing the landmark development as concrete evidence of how African partnerships can translate into projects capable of transforming lives and economies.
The massive dam and power plant, located in Tanzania’s Rufiji region, has a generation capacity of up to 2,115 megawatts, making it a significant addition to Tanzania’s electricity-generation capacity.
The project is expected to strengthen the country’s national power grid while providing additional support to key sectors, including industry, commerce, mining, agriculture and investment.
Anthropologist and founder of AfroMedia and the Global Solidarity Network, Hassan Ghazaly, described the project as an important example of African cooperation built around partnership, technical expertise and shared interests.
According to Ghazaly, the true strength of relations between countries should be measured by tangible projects that improve the lives of citizens rather than by media narratives or political rhetoric.
He said the Julius Nyerere project demonstrated that African expertise and partnerships could deliver strategic infrastructure capable of addressing present challenges while creating greater opportunities for future generations.
«“Africa’s strength lies in integration among its states and in transforming its resources and potential into concrete achievements that benefit its people,” Ghazaly said.»
He argued that cooperation based on mutual interests and respect for national sovereignty remained one of the most effective routes to sustainable development.
The commissioning ceremony, attended by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, also attracted Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, highlighting the strategic importance attached to the project by both countries.
Madbouly reportedly described the development as a model of Egypt-Tanzania cooperation in energy, investment and infrastructure, while commending the capacity of Egyptian companies to execute major projects in accordance with international standards.
Tanzania Eyes Regional Energy Market
The project is also expected to strengthen Tanzania’s ambitions of becoming a major energy hub in East and Central Africa.
Tanzanian Energy Minister Deo Ndejembi said the government was expanding its high-voltage electricity transmission network to connect power-generation sources with domestic consumption centres and regional markets.
He explained that Tanzania was pursuing stronger regional electricity interconnections to facilitate energy trading with neighbouring countries.
According to him, discussions had commenced on plans to export electricity to Zambia, while Tanzania was also seeking energy-exchange agreements with Kenya and other countries in the region.
Such arrangements, he said, would enhance Tanzania’s position as an emerging regional energy centre.
Former President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, also hailed the Julius Nyerere power project, describing it as an important milestone in Tanzania’s efforts to strengthen its position as a centre of energy production and economic development.
Adesina stressed the importance of putting the additional electricity capacity to productive use by supporting industrial expansion and building a more sustainable economic future.
Project Challenges Negative Narratives
Ghazaly said the Julius Nyerere project offered a powerful reminder that Africa possessed the skills, resources and expertise required to pursue a more integrated development path when countries worked together on the basis of trust and mutual benefit.
He also called for greater responsibility from African media organisations in reporting the continent’s development stories, arguing that successful projects deserved greater attention because they demonstrate the practical benefits of cooperation.
According to him, the future of Africa would be shaped not by slogans but by joint action, infrastructure development and projects that directly improve the welfare of citizens.
He maintained that the Julius Nyerere project demonstrated that Egypt’s relations with other African countries could be anchored in cooperation, integration and shared economic interests.
The development, he said, provided a practical response to narratives seeking to portray Egypt’s role on the continent inaccurately.
“Facts Speak Louder Than Narratives”
The project has therefore been presented as more than an electricity-generation facility. Its proponents see it as a demonstration of what African cooperation can achieve when expertise, investment and political will converge.
Ghazaly stressed that major development projects ultimately provide their own evidence of value, with their impact on communities and economies serving as stronger testimony than competing media narratives.
He said the lesson from the Julius Nyerere project was clear: sustainable development would depend increasingly on African countries working together, respecting each other’s sovereignty and pursuing mutually beneficial partnerships.
The message from Julius Nyerere is simple: development is built through action—and concrete achievements speak louder than rhetoric.
