Chinese Government provides RMB 386.1 million grant — via ETCA — for NIT University of Transport Construction Project (Linked to Record ID#59605, 88323)

On May 19, 2018, the Chinese Government and Tanzania’s Ministry of Finance signed an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), which committed RMB 409 million (TZS 146.47 billion) of grant funding for multiple projects.

The Tanzanian Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance and Planning Dotto James and the Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania Wang Ke signed the agreement.

The grant proceeds were allocated to three different projects: (1) approximately RMB 386,186,249 (TZS 138.3 billion) for the National Institute of Transport (NIT) University of Transport Construction Project (captured via Record ID#59603); (2) approximately RMB 8,935,618 (TZS 3.2 billion) for a Standard Gauge Railway Feasibility Study (captured via Record ID#59605); and (3) approximately RMB 8,991,465 (TZS 3.22 billion) for general budget support to the Tanzania Railways Corporation (captured via Record ID#88323).

The purpose of the NIT University of Transport Construction Project, which is being co-financed by the World Bank with a $21.5 million concessional loan, is to construct a university campus for NIT in Mabibo in Dar es Salaam.

Upon completion, the university is expected to have 5 rooms, offices, laboratories, conference rooms, libraries, and student dormitories.

It is also expected to provide training in important and required fields including railway technologies, aviation issues, and other cross-cutting sectors by providing specialized professionals who will contribute to achieving the Government of Tanzania’s goal of an industrial economy.

The project will also equip the university with the machinery needed for teaching in the areas of aviation, railway, maritime and road transport.

Additionally, the project will expand NIT’s Lindi Campus (which will focus on Maritime Studies and Petroleum Technology). A feasibility study for the project was completed by Southwest University Jiaotong in China in 2018.

A 60-hectare piece of land has also been handed over to NIT for construction, courtesy of Kilimanjaro Airports Development Company (Kadco).

However, in January 2021, the National Institute of Transport (NIT) asked the Chinese government to expedite the construction of the university. As of July 2021, a project implementation agreement had not yet been signed. Construction was originally scheduled to commenced in June 2019.