By Prosper Makene
The National Institute of Transport (NIT)’s fourth five-year rolling strategic plan (FYRSP IV) 2021/22 — 2025/26 was developed in accordance with the Medium Term Strategic Planning and Budgeting Manual of the United Republic of Tanzania of 2021, it has been said.
Some of the instruments used to prepare FYRSP-IV including Tanzania Development Vision (TDV 2025), Third National Five-Year Development Plan 2021/22- 2025/26, Tanzania Ruling Party Manifesto 2020, National Transport Policy 2003, National Skills Development Strategy 2016/17 – 2025/26, Education Sector Development Plan 2016/17 – 2020/21, East African Development Vision 2050, Sustainable Development Goals 2030, NIT 3rd Five-Year Rolling Strategic Plan of 2016/17 – 2020/21.
Purpose of the Plan
The plan set to guide NIT in executing its mandates as stipulated in the establishing instrument as well as to guide stakeholders who will be involved in the process of transforming the Tanzania economy into realizing competitiveness and industrialization for human development by 2025/26.
Critical issues
The performance reviews done on the Third Five-Year Strategic Plan, the SWOCs and Stakeholders’ analysis identified several critical issues including Establishment of Centre of Excellence in Aviation and Transport Operations, Establishment of Railway & Transport Technology, Urban Transport Studies and Centre of Excellence for Road Safety, Establishment of School of Shipbuilding and Marine Technology.
Other issues including Expand Learning Infrastructure and Facilities including students’ hostels, lecture halls, workshops, laboratories and Academic Tower, Strengthen Quality of Teaching, Learning, Research, Library services and Information & Communication Technology, Strengthen NIT Institutional legal frameworks, Strengthen internal revenue generation.
“The plan was prepared in a participatory approach. The Institution’s situational analysis and end term evaluation were carried out which led to the development of a 4th FYRSP 2021/22 – 2025/26,” the Institute’s Rector Prof Zacharia Mganilwa told participants of the external stakeholders workshop held last week in Dar es Salaam.
Furthermore, in his Presentation to the stakeholders, NIT Rector Prof ZachariaMganilwa said: “During the implementation of FYRSP III (2016/17-2020/21), NIT registered a number of achievements and challenges in the course of executing the seven (7) Plan objectives.”
He named the plan objectives as Staff Recruitment and Capacity Building, Increase on Training Programs, Increase of programs and enrollment of students, Expansion of Infrastructure, Acquisition of State of the Art Training equipment and facilities, Establishment of Centre of Excellences (CoE), Establishment of Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation Centre (NITEBIC), Improvement of Internal Revenue, Land Acquisition in Lindi, Dodoma and Kilimanjaro and Enhanced Industry and Stakeholder’s Linkage.
He disclosed other achievements as Established Centre of Excellences (CoE) such as Centre of Excellence in aviation and transport operations financed by world bank as well as regional Centre of excellence for road safety financed by AfDB and Establishment of Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation Centre (NITEBIC).
The Rector also said that the internal generated revenue increased from TZS 10,388,646,149/= in 2016/17 to TZS 21,763,900,000/= in 2020/21 an increase of 110%.
“Other achievements in the past rolling strategic plan including acquired 125 acres in Kikwetu Lindi for construction of the College of Maritime and Petroleum Technology,” he said. Adding, “We are also on final stage to acquire 1005 acres in Kitelela Msalato Dodoma to establish College of Railway Transport Technology.”
Apart from that, he said: “We leased 60 hectares at KIA to establish the Government Flying School, acquired two plots at Njedengwa in Dodoma (1,505 and 1,502 m2) for construction of student and staff rest house and we have also established an Industrial Advisory Committee to enhance the linkage between NIT and the stakeholder’s.”
Transformation of NIT into University of Transport
The Rector underscored that the United Republic of Tanzania has received financial grant from the People’s Republic of China to transform the National Institute of Transport to University of Transport.
“The University of Transport will have Five Colleges and One Institute including the College of Engineering Science and Technology, College of Transport Management and Allied Sciences, College of Aerospace Science and Technology, Institute of Technical Training in Transport, College of Maritime and Petroleum Technology, College of Railway Transport Technology,” he said.
Challenges Encountered in the Implementation of FYRSP-III
Prof Mganilwa names some of the challenges that the Institute received when implementing the just ended rolling strategic plan as inadequate Government funding for learning infrastructure and facilities, Brain drain due to inadequate staff remuneration and retirement benefits as well as the inadequate Government funding for research.
“In the just ended rolling strategic plan, we have also observed the inadequate collaboration between tertiary institutions and organized private sectors, inadequate of specialized expertise in Tanzania to some modes of transport such as pipeline, shipping, railways, and air transport as well as outbreak of pandemic disease such as COVID-19 and higher cost for training transport professionals overseas,” he said.