Young innovators, institutions are investing efforts to come up with solutions, devices and tools empowered with modern technologies to further cater the growing needs of the society.
The government through its institutions such as the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Commission is also working tirelessly to support the initiatives so as to enable the country to achieve its goals of digitizing the economy.
Recent innovations include electric cars that have been designed and constructed by the College of Engineering and Technology (CoET) of the University of Dar es Salaam and the electric tricycles (bajaj) of the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT), show how the country is now eying in utilising technology for development.
In a business to business (B2B) meeting held last week in Dar es Salaam, a number of local ICT companies came together to meet with their counterparts from Egypt who were in the country to explore trade opportunities as well as establish collaborations with various local companies.
During the meeting companies learnt and shared experiences on how to foster collaborations in the areas of ICT services with Tanzanians firms expressing readiness to forge partnerships with the Egyptian companies that have great experience in the area.
In an interview with this paper on the sidelines of the meeting, Dr Ekael Mbise, coordinator of technology development and Transfer Centre (TDTC) under CoET narrated how the newly developed electric cars are meant to transform transport and transportation services in Dar es Salaam city.
“The idea to on the electric cars started in 2019 when the then Geita Regional Commissioner came to ask us to produce two mini vehicles (prototypes), we then signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) to commence production of the vehicles with an aim to be used in Geita for technology showcase and training,” he said.
According to him, the job to construct the first vehicle which started immediately in 2019 and has now been completed and the second one will be ready before the end of the year.
“The running cost will be much better because this car uses electricity, which will reduce the cost of fuel consumption, so we are calling Tanzanians to start changing their mindsets to shift into using electric vehicles,” he said
According to him, the car is required to be charged for three or four hours and then it can travel about 100 to 120 kilometres before recharge.
“After the successful completion of this car, we have received various orders from institutions including hospitals and security organs, we will continue to work hard to expand this innovation so as to help boost transportation,” he added.
Dr Mbise said the vehicle is however in testing stage so as to see how effective it is as well as receive feedback form authorities and stakeholders so as to make further improvements.
Mohamed said by estimating the car will be sold around 10m/- adding that 80 percent of the raw materials used to make the car come from within the country.
“We are calling for the government and the private sector to support this innovation by funding for the college to produce more electric cars,” he added.
He said that as the world is currently experiencing rapid changes in science and technology, adopting the innovations in various sectors including transport was a matter of paramount importance so as to align with the development
Meanwhile researchers and experts at the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) have also designed electric tricycles (bajajis) which if things go well will start to be sold in the market to further boost transport and reduce carbon emissions.
Eng Gerutu Bosinge, mechanical engineer at DIT said by 2030, the institute through its commercial company of DIT limited expects to produce over 1000 electric bajaji.
“We are also making efforts in research so as to start thinking on producing electric bajaji that will be operating independently without driver (autonomous),” he said.
He commended the ICT commission for its close support to ensure that various innovations are nurtured to bring positive outcomes.
Eng Pius Chombo, electrical engineer at DIT said that apart from producing electric bajaji, the institute also assembles electric bicycles.
“We all know that our transportation systems are still not enough, so our goal is to continue coming up with more technological innovations that will help improve transportation, reduce costs while also protecting the environment,” he said.
According to him the newly designed electrical bajaji has capacity to carry up to six passengers compared to the current one which carries three passengers.
He said if fully charged at a cost that does not exceed 2000/- (4units of power), the tricycle can go up to 80km distance.
“This is why we have said that these tricycles are good and cost-effective, they can help drivers earn a lot of income without even incurring costs of regular services to the electrical vehicles as compared to the fuel-powered vehicles which spend a lot in garages,” he explained.
Director general of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Commission Dr Nkundwe Mwasaga said the government has simplified investment regulations in order to attract investors from around the world.
Dr Mwasaga further said the country has been making efforts to implement more e-governance initiatives and promote the use of digital technologies in public services.
“We are currently investing much of our efforts to ensure that we provide all needed support to startups that grab the emerging technologies so as to bring transformation in various fields such as transportation, hospitality and other areas,” he said.
According to him, the mission has got enough opportunity to sit and discuss with various Tanzania technology companies and startups, this will help forge robust relations which will boost the ICT sector for sustainable development," he said.
A recent report from the World Bank has listed Tanzania as one of the top countries globally for effective use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in delivering public services. The report, called the GovTech Maturity Index (GTMI), analyzed a total of 198 countries and placed Tanzania at 26th position globally, second in Africa, and topping the list in the East African region.
The report indicates that the use of ICT in Tanzania has increased by 0.86 percent in the last year, which is a significant improvement.
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