Tanzania’s engineering community marks 8th engineers’ day celebration

Among the most important roles being played by the Tanzania Engineer’s Registration Board (ERB) is to ensure excellent work performance by engineers in the country. This is in a bid to avoid complaints from the public against shoddy construction in a project undertaken. Ascertaining and certifying practicing engineers is among the vital roles played by the Engineers Registration Board in the country. The Board ensures that safety standards and quality performances are adhered to at any construction site in order to avoid any possible complaints that may arise from the general public resulting from shoddy construction jobs in various projects undertaken.

Norwegian Ambassador Mr Svein Baera talking to Tanzania’s engineers below. The government of Royal Republic of Norway has donated about USD 1.8 to ERB. The money would be used to facilitate 200 women engineers each year for five years under its SEAP program.

A cross section of over 800 engineers of various engineering disciplines who attended the occasion at Mlimani City in Dar es Salaam listening to the proceedings.

A woman passes along the advertisement placed outside the hall by the side of the main Sam-Nujoma road at a junction that leads to a conference venue.

ERB celebrates 8th Anniversary of engineering excellence in Tanzania

The Board is one of the most important and the oldest Boards in the history of the construction industry in Tanzania. It’s a statutory body founded in 1968 and later re-established under the Engineers’ Registration Act No. 115 of 1997. The Board has been given the responsibility of monitoring and regulating engineering activities and the conduct of the engineers and engineering consulting firms in Tanzania. Its main functions is to promote and maintain professional conduct and integrity of the engineering profession. Under the law, it is illegal for an engineer or an engineering firm to practice the profession if not registered with the Board. Other board’s function schedules includes among others sponsoring, arrange and provide the facilities for the conferences, seminars, workshops and consultations the board organizes on matters related to the field of engineering in the country. The Board has also been given legal powers and has the obligation to withdraw the right to practice from registered engineers if found guilt of professional misconduct or professional incompetence. Registration with the Board is thus a license to practice engineering in Tanzania.

The Deputy Chairman of the ERB Board, Engineer Margreth Munyagi who was introduced to many engineers who didn’t know of her background history. Engineer Margreth who is also the Director General of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) is said to be the first woman to become an engineer in the country.

Two women engineers carrying a woodcarving ready to be presented to Norwegian Ambassador Mr Svein Baera as a token of appreciation to what his government has donated to ERB.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure Engineer Omary Chambo presenting an antelope woodcarving to His Excellencies the Norwegian Ambassador accredited in the country Mr. during the occasion. On his left is the ERB registrar Engineer Steve Mlote.

“Kilimo Kwanza”, a challenge to Tanzania’s engineers.

This year’s theme has became a great challenge to engineers as the country has adopted the policy towards ensuring excellence on agro-activities throughout the country. Engineers have a greater role to play for its success.

Engineering is among the noble professions that have the privilege and responsibility of self regulation. The Board has worked out a Code of Ethics which aims at regulating the engineering activities and conduct of engineers and engineering consulting firms. The Code thus forms the basis and framework for responsible professional practice as it prescribes standards of conduct to be observed by engineers and engineering consulting firms. The Board also promotes innovativeness among local engineers as well as the use of affordable technologies and locally available materials.

After the early presentations, the guest of honour Engineer Omary Chambo was taken round various stands at the exhibitions to see for himself what engineering firms are doing in the country


Dr. Adelhelm Meru who is the Director General of the Economic Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) in the country was among the key speakers during the occasion. He is hereby seen walking around the corridor to see what engineers came with in their various stands.

ERB celebrates engineers’ day

The Board also adheres to the code of conduct which bare standards at the international level and accepts all standards which are acknowledged worldwide, says the Board’s Registrar, Engineer. Steven .D. Mlote. The Code is based on broad tenets of truth, honesty and trustworthiness, respect for human life and welfare, fairness, openness, competence and accountability; engineering excellence, protection of the environment and sustainable development.


This is a famous Shorprite shopping centre whose company a Botswana based owns the Miliman City Hall which is adjacent to a conference hall, the scenery is as can be seen when taken through the glass that separate the corridor with the main faced of the building

The Permanent Secretary Omary Chambo is being taken round by the Chairman of the ERB Board, Professor Ninatubu Lema, trailing behind them is Engineer Margreth Munyagi who is the Deputy ERB Board chairman. Engineer Munyagi is also the Director General of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority.

Towards refurbishing engineers in Tanzania

According to him, the board ensures construction works are performed excellently to avoid queries from the general public on a particular building project. However, he says that an engineer whose work is found to have flouted the board’s rules is removed out of the registration list and or sometimes may face trial for an extensive damage caused intentionally. Let it be clear to engineers that the engineering community in Tanzania is a working brigade for stimulating and spearheading socio-economic development in the country, and one aspect for ERB towards this development it has strengthened capacity building. To implement its mandate, the Board has the capacity to screen, generate and effect engineering applications as well as offer solutions to engineering-related problems. It is the engineers who conduct research on design, manage operations, maintain and repair structures, machines, plants and equipment.



Here an exhibitor at the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority stand explaining a point to the guest of honour when he approached the stand

Development without Engineers is nothing

The role of engineers within construction sector in any country is of critical importance to socio-economic development since without a sound infrastructure few industries, if any at all cannot operate efficiently. Engineers have to choose the right material, with high quality and balance them to get value for money. The building of the important infrastructures such as the airports, roads, harbours, sewerage facilities, communication facilities, water treatment plants, drilling boreholes, just to mention but a few entirely depends on engineering knowledge. These are examples of fast growing construction industry for Tanzanian economy. The above mentioned infrastructural facilities are given priority in every development set up. They cannot be taken for granted in the processing of building capacity for infrastructure development. The engineering sector among other things also aims at developing local skills, enhance employment opportunities and produce cadres in the industry who are capable of meeting international professional standards. The development of the construction industry in Tanzania has come up as a result of the economic liberalization which in one way or another has driven the country to enter into the international investment forum in order to acquire formal development within the sector.



The guest of honour Eng. Omary Chambo was taken round by his hosts to various stands

Tanzania still have fewer engineers

The major challenge is, however, in regard to construction of roads, particularly those in the rural areas since most of them are in a pathetic situation. The situation is a big challenge to civil engineers, the government and private sector to effectively increase their collaboration in addressing the constraints faced. There is a need for taking some decisive steps and measures to nurture and facilitate the growth and development of reputable local engineers and contractors with the requisite professional skill but lack of capital, the issue of financial capacity and technology is a drawback although these can be addressed via national budgetary allocations. In order to enhance the development goals of engineers in the country, the Engineers Registration Board (ERB) has put down a number of strategies for making sure that all illegal engineering works are banned. The strategies are meant for brushing engineers into getting more knowledge so as to keep them abreast with the changing technologies in this era of science and technology. The Board has put forward the Structured Engineers Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) as well as Continuing Professional Development (CDP) programs. These professional short courses raise the capacity buildings in order to cope with the situation so as to meet engineering development goals. To achieve engineering excellence, the ERB Board has put emphasis as its main strategy, to implement both training courses for the betterment of the engineering community in the country. SEAP and CPD, the two are intensive training programs for practicing engineers in the country. The board hitherto considers these programmes as mandatory to all practicing engineers in the country.



The ERB Board Chairman, Professor Ninatubu Lema is being interviewed by the local television. Professor Lema said Tanzania is still having fewer engineers to accommodate most important sectors in the country.

On her turn, ERB Assistant Board Chairman Engineer Margaret Munyagi was also interviewed. On her part she has urged fellow women to actively take part in engineering works in the country