From the Classroom to the Pit: How Barrick is building Tanzania’s next generation of mining professionals

TUESDAY February 3, 2026

By Tranquility News Correspondent, Tanzania

In a bold investment that looks beyond today’s production figures to tomorrow’s possibilities, Barrick Mining Corporation is placing its bet where it believes the future of Tanzania’s mining industry truly lies: In its young people.

This week in Dar es Salaam, Barrick Tanzania—through its partnership with the Tanzania government under Twiga Minerals—announced an award of full international scholarships to five outstanding Tanzanian students to pursue Bachelor’s degrees in Mining and Geology science studies at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.

The initiative is part of Barrick’s Africa and Middle East Bursary Programme and its broader Young Scholars Empowerment Programme, a long-term strategy designed to build a deep pool of globally competitive mining professionals.

For Barrick, the move signals a clear philosophy: Responsible mining is not only about how minerals are extracted from the ground, but also about how opportunity is cultivated above it.

Investing in skills, not just sites

Speaking during the official announcement and farewell ceremony, the Barrick Country Manager, Dr Melkiory Ngido, described the scholarships as a tangible expression of the company’s commitment to sustainable development and national capacity building.

“Barrick has today reaffirmed its long-term commitment to responsible mining and the development of national skills by offering full international scholarships to five Tanzanians to pursue Bachelor’s degree programmes in South Africa,” Dr Ngido said.

“Our responsibility does not end with operating our mines according to international standards,” he added. “We’re also committed to investing in equipping Tanzanians—especially young ones—with skills, because they are the future experts who will take this industry to the next level.”

The scholarships cover full international study costs and are designed not as a one-off gesture, but as part of a pipeline approach to talent development.

Barrick has committed to supporting the students throughout their studies and, upon graduation, offering opportunities for professional growth through employment at its operations in Tanzania.

A long-term vision for responsible mining

Dr Ngido emphasized that the initiative reflects Barrick’s conviction that responsible mining must go beyond regulatory compliance and economic contribution.

Our responsibility does not end with operating our mines according to international standards. We’re also committed to investing in equipping Tanzanians—especially young ones—with skills, because they are the future experts who will take this industry to the next level,” the Barrick Tanzania Country Manager, Dr Melkiory Ngido.

“Our responsibility does not end with how we mine,” he said. “It extends to how we invest in people and the future. By supporting these young leaders through education, we are making a long-term investment in skills, innovation, and national progress.”

That vision aligns closely with Tanzania’s own development priorities, particularly the need for strengthening local expertise in technical sectors such as mining engineering and geology—fields that are critical to the country’s industrial growth and poverty reduction efforts.

Academia and industry, side by side

The programme has also been warmly welcomed by the academic.

The University of Dar es Salaam Vice Chancellor, Professor William Anangisye, praised Barrick for what he described as a model partnership between the private sector and public institutions.

“Today, we witness the departure of five of our brightest students, who have been awarded full international scholarships by Barrick Tanzania to pursue their Bachelor’s degree programmes in South Africa,” Professor Anangisye said.

“This initiative is not just about scholarships. It is about investing in the future of Tanzania, equipping our young leaders with globally competitive skills, and ensuring that their knowledge contributes meaningfully to our country’s development.”

The students were selected through a rigorous, transparent, and merit-based process that involved candidates from universities across the country.

Academic excellence, leadership potential, and alignment with Tanzania’s priority skills needs were key criteria.

“This is exactly the kind of partnership we value,” Professor Anangisye noted, “one that strengthens our education ecosystem, nurtures talent, and demonstrates how the private sector can serve as a true partner in national development.”

Promoting inclusion and gender balance

Notably, the cohort includes female students—an outcome Professor Anangisye highlighted as a significant step toward gender balance in science and engineering disciplines.

“I am particularly happy to see that among the sponsored students are female students,” he said. “This aligns with the university’s policy of promoting gender balance in education and ensuring that capable girls are given opportunities to progress.”

Beyond financial support, the Barrick’s programme includes mentorship and long-term engagement, reinforcing the idea that developing professionals requires sustained guidance, not just tuition payments.

Voices of the future

For the students themselves, the opportunity represents more than personal achievement—it is a call to national service.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, scholarship recipient Samson Abeid described the programme as transformative.

“This programme is a unique opportunity for Tanzanian students to study hard and ensure they contribute to national development,” Abeid said. “It will serve as a catalyst in the education sector and provide opportunities for Tanzanians to gain knowledge and skills abroad that can be applied back home.”

Mining with a human face

Barrick Mining Corporation operates three major sites in Tanzania: Bulyanhulu in Kahama, North Mara in Tarime, and Buzwagi in Shinyanga, which is currently in its closure phase.

While these operations are central to the country’s gold output, Barrick’s leadership argues that people—not pits—are the most valuable long-term asset.

As the five students prepare for leaving for Johannesburg, their journey symbolises a broader shift in how global mining companies can engage with host countries: Not merely as extractors of resources, but as partners in human development.

In betting on education, Barrick is making a quiet but powerful statement—one that suggests the future of mining in Tanzania will be shaped as much in lecture halls and laboratories as it is deep undergroundΩ