Tanzania Reaffirms Commitment to Diaspora as Global Remittances Reach $94bn

Tanzania has restated its commitment to strengthening collaboration with its diaspora community, underscoring their growing importance to national development and continental progress. The assurance was delivered at the 7th Bandung Africa Institute Conference, which opened in Arusha with participation from intellectuals and policymakers across Africa.

Salvator Mbilinyi, Director of the Diaspora, Engagement and Opportunities Unit at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, said the government will continue coordinating diaspora affairs with renewed focus. He emphasized that Tanzanians abroad remain a key pillar in the country’s economic and social agenda.

According to Mbilinyi, the African diaspora contributed 94 billion US dollars in remittances in 2024, a figure that surpassed the continent’s total development aid, estimated at 64 billion dollars. He described this gap as evidence of the diaspora’s unmatched role in sustaining African economies.

He urged African governments to build stronger administrative and financial systems for engaging their diaspora communities, noting that improved coordination would unlock even greater development benefits for the region. He added that remittances continue to boost household incomes, investment, and national foreign exchange reserves.

The official also reminded participants that the African Union recognizes the diaspora as its “Sixth Region,” a status that places significant cultural, social, and economic weight on Africans living abroad. He said this recognition should motivate governments to create more supportive frameworks for collaboration.

The conference in Arusha brought together scholars, development experts, and diaspora representatives from across the world. Discussions focused on issues such as returning stolen African cultural artifacts, reforming education curricula shaped by colonial systems, boosting diaspora-funded capital investment, and integrating modern technology into African agriculture.

Organised by the Kenya-based Bandung Conference Africa Institute in partnership with the 6th Region African Diaspora Alliance Tanzania, the two-day gathering highlighted the growing influence of African diaspora networks in shaping governance, cultural policy, and economic transformation.

Officials said recommendations from the conference are expected to guide future collaboration between African countries and their diaspora communities, particularly in areas of investment, education reform, and cultural restoration.