DODOMA: THE government has intensified efforts to open opportunities for young Tanzanians in the mining sector after cancelling 73 exploration and medium-to-large-scale mining licences whose holders failed to comply with legal requirements.
Speaking in Dodoma, Minister for Minerals Anthony Mavunde said the cancellation clears 3,002 square kilometres, about 741,000 acres which will now be reallocated to support the Mining for a Brighter Tomorrow (MBT) youth programme, in line with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s directives.
He said the move will remove long-standing barriers that prevented youth from accessing mining areas, noting that several licence holders had abandoned sites, violated licence conditions or failed to develop them as required under the Mining Act.
“We are preparing these areas to help our young people access meaningful opportunities through the MBT programme,” he said.
Mr Mavunde said some mining firms had been given offence notices but failed to rectify violations, making licence cancellation unavoidable.
The reclaimed land will be reorganised and allocated to youth groups through the MBT framework, implemented jointly by the Ministry of Minerals and State Mining Corporation (STAMICO).
He noted that the MBT pilot phase had already begun in Tarime, Nyang’hwale, Geita and Chunya, but expansion was limited by un utilised mining licences that locked up large areas.
“Availability of land is the biggest challenge,” he said.
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“Many areas were being held without development, yet youth across the country are eager to engage in mining.”
The minister highlighted success in Tarime, where 2,500 young people who previously intruded on the North Mara mine were issued legal mining permits.
He said the move followed discussions with Barrick leadership, enabling unused licences to be converted into regulated mining spaces for youth.
“The level of intrusion at North Mara has dropped significantly, and we intend to replicate this model across the country,” he said, adding that the ministry will continue organising youth and equipping them with the skills needed for exploration, extraction, processing, valuation and trading of minerals.
Mr Mavunde reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring more youth benefit from the growing mining sector.
“We will keep bringing our young people into a well-structured system that supports their progress,” he said.
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