President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera is among 13 African Heads of State attending the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on January 27-28, 2025. The summit, convened by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank (AfDB), will focus on scaling energy access and accelerating clean energy transitions across Africa. Central to the summit is the signing of a $300 million compact for Malawi, a landmark deal aimed at advancing the country’s energy goals. This funding will play a pivotal role in increasing electricity access, aligning with President Chakwera’s ambitious vision to raise electricity penetration from the current 25% to 70% by 2030. Under President Chakwera’s leadership, Malawi has already made significant strides in energy development, with electricity access increasing from a dismal 9% under the previous administration to its current level. These achievements have earned him recognition and an invitation to the summit, underscoring...

Mbarali, Tanzania — A hush had fallen over Mbarali District, but it was not the quiet of peace–it was the silence of uncertainty. Just months ago, the rolling plains were gripped by fear as government-backed rangers, dressed in olive green fatigues, roamed through villages, seizing cattle, torching homes, and forcing entire communities to the wobbly edge of survival. The REGROW project, a USD 150 million initiative funded by the World Bank to expand Ruaha National Park (RUNAPA), had promised tourism growth and environmental conservation. What it delivered was a brutal campaign of state-sanctioned land grabbing under the guise of protecting nature. Then, in a stunning turn of events, the World Bank pulled the plug on the project in January 2025 after intense scrutiny from human rights watchdogs and the United Nations. On paper, it was a victory for the thousands of farmers and pastoralists whose lands were threatened. But for...

Dar es Salaam — In a landmark effort to tackle Africa’s energy access crisis, the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group will host the Africa Energy Summit on January 27-28 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The event aims to advance Mission 300, an ambitious initiative to deliver electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030. The summit will bring together African leaders, international partners, philanthropic organizations, and private sector stakeholders to accelerate energy access and support the continent’s transition to clean energy. “The time to act is now,” said Franz Drees-Gross, World Bank Director of Infrastructure for West Africa. “Mission 300 represents not just an ambitious target but a movement… we are creating a lasting impact that will power Africa’s growth and enable millions of people to access the essential services electricity provides.” Addressing the energy gap Launched in April 2024, Mission 300 is an unprecedented collaboration between...

Greater awareness about illegal hunting concessions that allow the smuggling of endangered species to Dubai could prevent their decline. Calves of the endangered Masai giraffe and other juvenile African wildlife are being illegally exported from Tanzania to the Sharjah Safari in Al Dhaid in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the pleasure of Dubai royalty and tourists. Human Rights Watch reports that the shooting and capture of animals, including the Masai giraffe, and their transfer to Dubai, are part of a decades-old syndicate between successive Tanzanian governments and the Otterlo Business Corporation (OBC). According to Nicodemus Minde, a Researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, deep-rooted connections between the Tanzanian political elite and the UAE ruling class facilitated hunting concessions that have violated Tanzania’s laws. He linked senior members of Tanzania’s ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi party and UAE royalty, who had been accused of poaching and transporting live animals to...

The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has arrived in Dar es Salaam to participate in the “Mission 300” Africa Energy Summit, which officially began today. This year’s summit focuses on accelerating access to sustainable energy and brings together African leaders, international development organizations, private sector representatives, and energy experts. The event aims to foster collaboration and innovation to address energy challenges across the continent. During the summit, President Mohamud will present Somalia’s vision for energy development, emphasizing the government’s plans to enhance energy access while strengthening regional and international cooperation. His participation underscores Somalia’s commitment to addressing its energy challenges and promoting sustainable development through strategic partnerships. Throughout the summit, President Mohamud is scheduled to engage in meetings with fellow leaders and key stakeholders, highlighting Somalia’s determination to capitalize on energy collaboration opportunities to drive progress in the country’s energy sector. The summit will span...

Nairobi — President William Ruto is among at least 15 Heads of State and government attending the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The landmark gathering aims to accelerate energy access across Africa. Other leaders at the summit include, Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu, King Letsie III of Lesotho, President Ismail Guelleh of Djibouti, Denis Sassou Nguesso(Congo-Brazzaville), Azali Assoumani (Comoros), Andry Nirina Rajoelina (Madagascar), Hassan Sheikh Mohamud(Somalia), Julius Maada Bio (Sierra Leone), Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (Mauritania), Évariste Ndayishimiye(Burundi), Umaro Sissoco Embaló(Guinea-Bissau), Lazarus Chakwera(Malawi), Hakainde Hichilema(Zambia), and Bola Tinubu of Nigeria. The summit provides a platform for governments, private sector leaders, development partners, and civil society to advance the ambitious goal of providing electricity access to 300 million people by 2030–a target announced by the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group in April 2024. Jointly hosted by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, the...

Our Afropop travelers have arrived in Tanzania, kicking off an unforgettable journey in Dar es Salaam, the country’s bustling cultural and financial hub. With a week full of live music, spontaneous dance floors, and local camaraderie, here are the highlights from our time in Bongo, as the locals affectionately call their city. Swahili Rhumba: A Battle of the Bands Our first night in Dar set the tone with a Swahili rhumba showdown. First stop: Msondo Ngoma, performing at an open-air club on the city’s outskirts. Then, we headed to DDC Mlimani, where another powerhouse ensemble took the stage. Both bands delivered the quintessential Tanzanian rhumba sound–a hypnotic three-guitar interplay, soaring four-part harmonies, and tight rhythm and brass sections that kept the energy soaring. We were the only visitors at both venues, yet the locals embraced us with open arms, pulling us onto the dance floor in a swirl of rhythm...

The Arusha Declaration, presented by Julius Nyerere in 1967, sought to dismantle neocolonial exploitation through socialism, people’s democracy, and self-reliance. February 5 marked the anniversary of the launch of the Arusha Declaration, an important document in Tanzania’s and Africa’s socialist history, introduced by Julius Nyerere in 1967. In commemoration of this historic event, Mtandao wa Vikundi vya Wakulima Tanzania (MVIWATA) and Pan Africanism Today (PAT) hosted a farmer-led political education session to deepen the understanding of the declaration’s significance and the role of peasants in the struggle. The session, held both online and in person, was also broadcast on MVIWATA FM, allowing farmers across the country to listen and participate in the debate. It provided a platform for farmers, activists, and scholars to engage in a robust and insightful discussion on the relevance of the Arusha Declaration in today’s struggles for agrarian and economic justice. MVIWATA’s Executive Director, Stephen Ruvuga,...

DAR ES SALAAM — Thirty African Heads of State and governments today committed to concrete reforms and actions to expand access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to power economic growth, improve quality of life, and drive job creation across the continent. The Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, endorsed at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, represents a key milestone in addressing the energy gap in Africa, where more than 600 million people currently live without electricity. The commitments in the Declaration are a critical piece of the Mission 300 initiative, which unites governments, development banks, partners, philanthropies, and the private sector to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. At the summit, Mission 300 partners pledged more than $50 billion in support of increasing energy access across Africa. The Declaration will now be submitted to the African Union Summit in February for adoption. By addressing the fundamental challenge...

Three-time African champions, the Super Eagles of Nigeria have been drawn in Group C for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled for December 22 to January 18, 2026, in Morocco. Finalists at the last edition in Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria will tread tackles against former AFCON winners the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, the Taifa of Tanzania and the Cranes of Uganda. As hosts of the AFCON for the first time ever, in 1980, the Eagles battled the Taifa Stars in the tournament opening match, complete with their highly-rated team captain Leodegar Tenga and the enigmatic goalkeeper Jona Pondamali. Nigeria won 3-1 and went ahead to win their first continental title. Twenty years later, as co-hosts (with Ghana), Nigeria played Tunisia in their first match of the tournament, beating the Carthage Eagles 4-2 in Lagos. The Super Eagles went all the way to the Final, losing to Cameroon only after...