PR TIMES AFRICA PRTimesAfrica (March 2016) | Page 35

AFRICA’S TIME TO GROW:
TANZANIAN AMBASSADOR TO
NIGERIA TALKS DIPLOMACY AND
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT
The relationship between Nigeria and Tanzania is one that is very old and has always been de-
fined by the cordiality and common political and economic interests of both countries, within
the framework of African emancipation from colonialism and apartheid in the 20th century and
21st century issues of economic development. Tanzania is represented in Nigeria by Ambas-
sador Daniel Njoolay who is an intellectual who adopts a cerebral approach to tackling issues
of diplomacy and development. Ambassador Daniel had a brief chat with PR times Africa crew
on the issues holding Africa from fulfilling the potential for greater intra-African trade and in-
ter-regional trade within Africa.
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Daniel Ole Njoolay. I was born in 1952 in Tanzania. I am married with three children;
two girls and a boy. I studied in Tanzania for my undergraduate and I went for my post-gradu-
ate in Canada. When I came back I taught in college for 12years, after that I was appointed to
head a newspaper in Tanzania which I accepted from 1990 to 1995. After that I was appointed
governor – in Tanzania you don’t elect governors they are appointed by the president – from
1995, December to 2011, moving to about two or three states. I retired in 2011 and was ap-
pointed as Ambassador to Nigeria.
Describe the Tanzania mission in Nigeria.
Tanzania has had very close links with Nigeria for a very long time. A few years after inde-
pendence, we established our embassy and I think I am the 8th ambassador in Abuja. My
main mission is to strengthen relations between our two countries, including economic social
and political relations. In the past politics was very strong and Tanzania was chairman of the
Frontline states, but Nigeria though far from the Frontline was a member because of its strong
stance on apartheid and colonialism, so we are very proud of Nigeria for that. Now we have
an economic diplomacy, we need to strengthen the trade and investment between the two
countries.
What is the trade relationship like between Tanzania and Nigeria?
In the last couple of years, we are placing more emphasis on the economic diplomacy. This
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