The African country building a huge new £4bn capital city | World | News

An African country has embarked on an incredibly ambitious journey to construct a new capital city at the cost of a staggering £4bn.

The city, named Magufuli, will be a new administrative capital for Tanzania and would house mainly government buildings and services allowing all governmental functions to be held in one vibrant hub.

Having all government offices in a single location will “significantly improve efficiency,” according to urban planning expert Dr Rehema Mshana. The convenience was highlighted by her, as she said: “Citizens won’t have to travel to various areas of Dodoma in order to have their documents signed.”

The city is intended to serve as a visual representation of Tanzania’s development and modernisation, and it is hoped that it will streamline government operations and services.

Named after former President John Magufuli, who died in office in 2021, the city will be located 10 miles from the current capital, Dodoma.

Magufuli was one of Africa’s most prominent Covid-19 deniers, with the divisive figure denying the local spread of Covid-19 in Tanzania and discouraging the mention of the disease by health workers.

Covering over 617 hectares of land, the city will be divided into several different zones for different government ministries and diplomatic offices.

It is hoped in time that tourists will flock to the capital city helping boost economic expansion of the East African country and locals are already looking forward to the city’s potential economic effects and prospects.

The project is already half finished, with multiple structures already operational while work is being undertaken, meaning it might not be long before we see the launch of Magufuli.

Despite the positives, the project is facing financial and logistical challenges.

The National Housing Corporation (NHC), responsible for much of the work on Magufuli City, said: “We are aware of the financial and logistical challenges but are committed to seeing this project through.

“The benefits of efficiency, economic growth, and improved quality of life are immense.”