60 years of friendship
12-13 February 2024, the President of Tanzania and her delegation visited Oslo, Norway, on invitation by the Norwegian King and Queen. This is the first Tanzanian state visit to Norway since 1976, when President Julius Nyerere was received by King Olav at the Palace Square. In 2007, then President Jakaya Kikwete had an audience at the Royal Palace during an official visit to Norway.
Tanzania is one of Norway's most important partners on the African continent, and overall, one of the largest recipients of Norwegian development aid since the early 1960s. Our partnership has evolved through government cooperation, but also from the efforts of individuals, CSOs, trade unions, and universities. Today, cooperation is concentrated on energy, climate, poverty reduction, agriculture and financial management, with growing interest from Norwegian businesses.
Increasing business cooperation
Ole-Erik Almlid, CEO of Confederation of Norwegian Industries and President Samia Suluhu Hassan discussing the role of gender equality in driving business growth and economic development during the Tanzania- Norway Business Forum. Photo: Tanzania State House
Tanzania has a unique position as a peaceful and stable country with robust economic growth, abundant natural resources, and vast potential as a hub for regional integration. Great expectations are linked to the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG), where Equinor, Shell and their partners are negotiating a major project with Tanzania. The project may also have positive ripple effects for other Norwegian companies.
“There is great potential for increased business cooperation between Tanzania and Norway, including in renewable energy and green transition. I hope that the state visit will further strengthen this cooperation," said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. President Suluhu Hassan was also clear in her message during the Tanzania-Norway Business Forum, where she emphasized that we have much to gain from cooperation in business, investment and trade. The forum, organized by Norwegian African Business Association (NABA), presented inspiring discussions on boosting investment and business.
The President gave remarks and participated in a panel discussion on global energy transition at Oslo Energy Forum 2024, together with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, US climate envoy John Kerry and CEO of Equinor Anders Opedal. Photo: Tanzania State House
Tanzania and Norway entered into three new cooperation agreements in the areas of food security, climate adaptation, and research. Photo: Tanzania State House
Climate, food security and research
The three new agreements build upon decades of collaboration and signify a renewed commitment to addressing pressing challenges, such as climate change and food insecurity.
The first, a MoU on agriculture and food security will further strengthen the strong partnership between Tanzania and Norway within this important area. The partnership will support the Tanzanian government's goal to achieve more than 10 per cent growth for the agriculture sector by 2030 while addressing the impacts of climate change. Strengthening the role of farmer organizations and cooperatives, and the opportunities of women and youth in the agri-food sector is an important pillar in the collaboration. The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) and the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) build on existing cooperation when they signed a new agreement on soil health. The new project ClimaSoilHealth aims to enhance Tanzania’s ability to manage soil health in a sustainable way, thus improving the livelihoods of the country’s many smallholders. Vice Chancellor Raphael Tihelwa Chibunda from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and Rector Siri Fjellheim from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) signed a new research collaboration agreement. Research collaboration with Tanzania has become increasingly important.
Tanzania and Norway in the future
Looking ahead, both Tanzania and Norway are optimistic about the future of our relationship. As we embark on the next chapter, political dialogue and business cooperation will play pivotal roles in shaping our partnership.
We celebrate this milestone by looking forward to future endeavors, including a high-level summit on increasing access to cleaner cooking fuels in Africa 14 May in Paris. The summit will be co-chaired by the Norwegian Prime Minister, President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the International Energy Agency Executive Director, Fatih Birol. Additionally, the annual Nordic Week celebrations in May will further strengthen ties between Tanzania and the Nordic countries, setting the stage for continued cooperation and friendship in the years to come.
The visit was concluded with a big celebration for the Tanzania-Norway diaspora community, hosted by the United republic of Tanzania. Photo: Tanzania Foreign Ministry