The East African Community (EAC) member states will benefit from a $12 million institution that will train regional energy regulators.
The Energy Regulation Centre of Excellence (ERCE), to be built in Arusha, will be one of its kind in Africa.
Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan allocated five acres of land to the East African Energy Regulators Association (EREA), which will implement the project.
The institution will tap and train personnel from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Tanzania.
Suluhu said: “There is a need for the region to work towards achieving affordable and reliable energy so as to fast-track industrial revolution in the region.”
She urged EREA to execute a robust power pool and harmonisation of energy policies so that the region can attract strategic and viable investments for job creation.
At present, regulation excellence centres in Europe and the United States offer all energy regulation-related studies.
Africa has been spending colossal financial resources for training its regulatory experts abroad.
The training institution will in the long-term benefit EAC member countries as well as other African countries.
“EREA secretariat has been tasked to commence ERCE short courses in regulation at their current offices in Arusha,” said the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) board chairman, Mark Mwandosya.
Energy Regulators Association (EREA) executive director Geoffrey Mabea said ERCE will be an institution of its kind in Africa and will be a major milestone for the Government of Tanzania.
He said ERCE would collaborate with other universities within the East African Community to share information, which will bring in useful and crucial information on regulatory matters.
“ERCE curriculum and a 5-year Strategic Plan were developed and approved by its Executive Council held in December in Rwanda,” he added.