Reforming Mining Sector Laws to Guarantee Local Procurement as a Tool to Socio-Economically Empower Youths: A Tanzanian Perspective

Abstract

Majority African human resource is youth. These are expected to be directly involved in the harnessing of natural resources such as minerals for their socio-economic well-being. Contrary though, they are mostly unemployed in most mineral resources-rich African countries, Tanzania inclusive. Youth unemployment is an outcome of social, economic, and legal designs. Legally, it is founded on the absence of a robust legal framework to indirectly involve youths in the mining sector through procurement processes. Through documentary review, this paper examines the extent to which this obligation is being upheld in Tanzania. Through a qualitative analysis of reviewed documents, it is found that Tanzania’s mineral legal framework partially complies with the African regional and states best practices on adoption of local procurement as a tool to empower youths. Review of the mineral legal framework is recommended to provide for provisions aimed at empowering youths in such a sector.