LocationsBuilding Financial Resilience for All: UNDP and TIRA Validate Tanzania’s National Inclusive Insurance Strategy.
October 10, 2025
Discussions going on during the final validation workshop for the National Inclusive Insurance Strategy
In a significant step toward strengthening financial resilience in Tanzania, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA) convened the Final Validation Workshop for the National Inclusive Insurance Strategy (NIIS) 2025–2030 earlier this week. The workshop marked the culmination of a multi-year, multi-stakeholder effort to design a national roadmap that ensures insurance is not a privilege for the few, but a right accessible to all.
Led by Josephine Laswai, National Project Coordinator for UNDP’s Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF), and Edgar Shao from TIRA, the meeting brought together voices from across the financial ecosystem — including government ministries, regulators, industry associations, private sector players, and development partners. Their mission: to review, refine, and endorse a strategy that will transform how Tanzanians — especially those in vulnerable and underserved communities — access financial protection.
A Strategy Rooted in Tanzania’s Development Vision
Tanzania has made notable progress in advancing financial inclusion, with inclusive insurance increasingly recognized as a key pillar. Yet, insurance penetration remains low, leaving low-income households, informal sector workers, women, youth, and persons with disabilities exposed to economic and climate-related shocks.
Participants listening during the Final Validation Workshop of the National Inclusive Insurance Strategy (NIIS), organized by UNDP and TIRA in Dar es Salaam
Since the enactment of the Microinsurance Regulations in 2013, Tanzania has pioneered inclusive insurance regulation in Africa. The NIIS builds on this foundation, aligning with national frameworks such as the National Financial Inclusion Frameworks (NFIF I–III), the National Insurance Education Strategy, the Third Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III), and the Universal Health Insurance (UHI) Act of 2023.
What the NIIS Aims to Achieve
The NIIS provides a targeted roadmap to expand access to affordable and appropriate insurance services, particularly for smallholder farmers, MSMEs, women, youth, and persons with disabilities. It outlines four strategic pillars:
1. Enhancing consumer awareness through education and outreach.
2. Strengthening industry capacity with training, digitalization, and governance reforms.
3. Building strategic partnerships to extend insurance reach via community networks, fintech, and mobile platforms.
4. Improving regulation and the enabling environment to foster innovation and protect consumers.
The strategy also integrates gender, youth, and disability inclusion, ensuring that insurance products and delivery mechanisms are designed to meet the diverse needs of Tanzania’s population.
A Collaborative Effort with a Shared Vision
During the workshop, participants emphasized the importance of local government authorities in the insurance value chain and the need for inclusive and sustainable delivery of insurance services. The validation of the NIIS marks the final step before its official adoption and rollout — a moment that signals Tanzania’s readiness to lead by example in inclusive insurance policy and practice.
Josephine Laswai, who led the discussions, highlighted UNDP’s commitment to working closely with national institutions like TIRA to ensure that financial protection reaches those who need it most. “Inclusive insurance is not just about products,” she noted. “It’s about dignity, resilience, and opportunity — especially for those who have historically been left out of formal financial systems.”
Josephine Laswai, National Project Coordinator for UNDP’s Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF), addressing participants during the Final Validation Workshop of the National Inclusive Insurance Strategy (NIIS) at Four Points by Sheraton, Dar es Salaam
Looking Ahead
With the NIIS validated, Tanzania is poised to implement a strategy that will reshape its insurance landscape, making it more inclusive, responsive, and resilient. The strategy’s success will depend on continued collaboration, innovation, and investment — but the foundation has been laid. As UNDP and TIRA move forward with partners, the NIIS stands as a blueprint for how inclusive insurance can empower communities, protect livelihoods, and drive sustainable development.
“Inclusive insurance is not just about products, It’s about dignity, resilience, and opportunity — especially for those who have historically been left out of formal financial systems.”Josephine Laswai, National Project Coordinator for UNDP’s Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF)
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