Institute of Rural Development Planning

Africa faces complex, interrelated socioeconomic and environmental challenges, resulting in uneven progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Empirical evidence on how socioeconomic and environmental factors jointly influence SDG performance across African countries is limited. This study examines the determinants of SDG Dashboard performance using cross-country data from 54 African countries drawn from the 2025 Sustainable Development Report and the World Bank's World Development Indicators, applying descriptive statistics and ordered logistic regression, grounded in sustainable development theory. Descriptively, Central Africa shows high poverty and low female labor participation, while Eastern and Western Africa display moderate but variable poverty and employment. Regression results indicate several socioeconomic and environmental factors are significant (p < 0.05 and p < 0.10), with model fit R² = 0.33 to 0.70. Social vulnerabilities, including poverty and child mortality, are positively associated with performance in several goals, notably SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 17 (Partnership for Goals), reflecting the effects of targeted social interventions. Service-sector expansion and employment growth support performance in education, gender equality, energy access, decent work, and sustainable cities, aligning with SDG 4, SDG 5, SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). In contrast, rapid financial expansion, industrial activity, energy inefficiency, and biodiversity loss constrain performance in goals where inclusiveness and environmental safeguards are weak, particularly SDG 5, SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Overall, the results underscore that sustained SDG performance in Africa depends on a balanced integration of social inclusion, economic development, and environmental protection. The study highlights the need for strengthening social investments, including cash and food transfers; awareness campaigns, including financial and labor market participation inclusivity; and closer alignment of industrialization with environmental standards through integrated SDG planning and monitoring frameworks.

Reducing maternal mortality and enhancing women's healthcare are key targets of the Third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), aiming to lower the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. This study examines predictors of the timing of the first antenatal care (ANC) visit among pregnant women in Tanzania. It was pegged on three theoretical frameworks: the Health Belief Model (HBM), the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and Andersen's Behavioral Model. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using 2022 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey data. The study population included adult women aged 15–49 years. Data were weighted to reflect the complex survey design. The study employed descriptive statistics to assess ANC initiation across trimesters, log-rank tests to select variables, and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression to identify timing-related factors. Of 5,195 women, 66% initiated ANC after three months, while 34% did so within the recommended period. Older women (35–49 years) delayed their ANC by 43.7% compared to those aged 15–24 (AHR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.67–0.90, p < 0.001). Education shortened ANC timing: primary (AHR: 1.27, p = 0.003), secondary (AHR: 1.30, p = 0.007), and higher (AHR: 1.80, p = 0.008). Proximity to health facilities (AHR: 1.11, p < 0.074), employment (AHR: 1.02, p < 0.08), and media exposure (radio: AHR: 1.13, p = 0.067; TV: AHR: 1.18, p = 0.028) showed a non-significant trend toward earlier ANC. Age, education, distance to facilities, employment, and media exposure significantly influence ANC timing. Health literacy promotion and media campaigns are recommended to enhance timely ANC initiation.

This study explores the role of financial literacy in shaping rural–urban inequalities in Mobile Money (MoMo) account ownership in Tanzania. While digital financial services have expanded rapidly, the findings show that access alone is insufficient for equitable inclusion; the capability to use digital finance effectively remains unevenly distributed. Using data the 2021 Global Findex survey (n = 1,000) and applying the Recentred Influence Function (RIF)-Oaxaca decomposition, the study identifies a 0.150-point rural-urban gap in MoMo ownership. Approximately 67% of this disparity is explained by observable characteristics, with financial literacy accounting for 22.6%, a larger contribution than most other determinants, including mobile phone ownership, internet access and employment status. Regression results further show that the effect of financial literacy strengthens across income levels, highlighting that higher-income users convert financial knowledge into adoption more effectively than the poorest groups. These findings highlight that digital inclusion is both an infrastructural and capacity challenge. Addressing rural–urban and income-based inequalities therefore requires integrating targeted, pro-poor financial literacy initiatives into digital finance policy. Tailored approaches that strengthen foundational financial skills among low-income and rural populations can enhance meaningful engagement with MoMo services and promote more equitable participation in Tanzania’s digital financial ecosystem.

The paper is based on a study on the initiation ceremonies and household food security that was conducted in Nachingwea District, Tanzania. It examined the association between initiation ceremonies and household food availability, involving 94 households. The study employed surveys and structured interviews to collect primary data, which were processed and analyzed through descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and cross-tabulation. It was observed that a substantial amount of food was used for initiation ceremonies, leading to food shortages. However, the association between initiation ceremonies and household food security was not statistically significant as household food security is influenced by several other factors. It is recommended that community members should understand that initiation ceremonies may affect food security in their households and therefore they need to increase food production while using their food resources wisely. On the other hand, policymakers should integrate cultural issues into food security intervention measures to develop more effective and equitable policies. The government, through extension officers, should educate community members on improving household food security and addressing food shortages by enhancing production through climate change adaptation strategies, agricultural diversification, irrigation farming, pest control, and reducing post-harvest losses by improving food storage facilities. The Ministry of Agriculture should strengthen agricultural financing strategies to end hunger, enhance food availability, and reduce malnutrition in all its forms.

Organizations today are operating in environments marked by emotional volatility, rapid technological change, and rising uncertainty, which makes sustaining stability more challenging than ever. Although traditional organizational behavior models emphasize emotion-driven engagement and job satisfaction as key predictors of performance, these affective states shift quickly and often fail to provide durable stability. This paper addresses this gap by introducing the Commitment Anchoring Model (CAM), a conceptual framework developed through an integrative review and synthesis of literature in organizational behavior, psychology, and relational ethics. CAM positions commitment not emotion as the central stabilizing force in organizational systems. The model proposes that while emotions act as dynamic currents shaped by internal and external pressures, commitment provides the enduring anchor that holds organizational relationships steady. By reframing stability as a function of value-driven dedication rather than fluctuating emotional states, CAM offers a fresh theoretical contribution for understanding resilience, retention, and organizational cohesion. The paper outlines the model’s core assumptions, presents testable propositions, and highlights its implications for leadership, culture building, and workplace resilience, calling for future empirical studies to validate CAM across diverse organizational contexts.

The use of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) is increasingly recognised worldwide as crucial for improving transparency in governance. However, it remains debatable whether the utilisation of ICT is related to the improved local government transparency in the context of developing countries like Tanzania. The study employed a mixed-method research approach utilising Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to analyse the quantitative survey data gathered from 645 randomly selected respondents while on the other side, the thematic analysis was applied to examine the qualitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews with the 22 purposively selected respondents. The results indicate that the level of transparency in Tanzania’s local government is statistically significantly influenced by internet connectivity and accessibility (β = 0.137, p < .0001) as well as ICT literacy (β = 0.086, p = .027). The use of e-government services is not statistically significantly related to local government transparency (β = 0.094, p = .165). Consequently, we determine that ICT literacy, along with internet connectivity and accessibility serve as a crucial factor in shaping the local government transparency in Tanzania. Therefore, we urge policymakers and governments of developing nations, including Tanzania, to formulate and implement strategies that ensure access to affordable and dependable internet connectivity, alongside improving citizens’ ICT literacy to foster local government transparency.

The research problem in this study concerns the low motivation of elementary school students in learning mathematics, particularly algebra, when taught using conventional methods. The purpose of this research was to examine the effectiveness of Ludo board learning media in enhancing students’ learning motivation of algebraic concepts. A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group was employed, involving fifth-grade students divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received algebra instruction using Ludo board media, which integrated interactive elements such as dice rolls, token movements, and algebra-related questions, while the control group was taught through traditional instruction. Data on student motivation was collected using a validated 15-item questionnaire with high reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha=0.883). Pretest results indicated no significant difference between groups (p=0.548), confirming equivalence, while posttest analysis revealed a significant improvement in the experimental group compared to the control group (p &lt; 0.001). The implications of these findings highlight that game-based learning media can increas the problem of low motivation by creating an engaging, interactive, and collaborative environment. The impact of this study demonstrates that integrating Ludo board media into mathematics instruction can accommodate diverse learning styles, foster social interaction, and improve motivation learning. This approach offers a practical strategy for enhancing the quality of mathematics education at the elementary level.

ABSTRACT This study examines the influence of land consolidation for large-scale agricultural investments (LSAIs) on commercialisation of smallholder agriculture in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT). Grounded in market integration and diffusion of innovation theories, it compares agricultural outcomes between villages affected by LSAIs and those unaffected, focusing on land cultivation, technology adoption, productivity, and perceived commercial orientation. Using structured surveys, data were collected from 180 maize-producing smallholder farmers across six villages (three with LSAIs, three without). The study is predominantly descriptive, laying groundwork for more complex analytical studies that may explore causal relationships. Results indicate that smallholders in villages affected by LSAIs exhibit several positive shifts: higher adoption of modern technologies (e.g., tractors (16.9% vs. 3.6%), purchased seeds (62.2% vs. 49.4%), inorganic fertilisers (80% vs. 70.4%)), and pesticides (64% vs. 37.9%), improved access to storage facilities (55.7% vs. 40.2%), higher productivity (8.9 vs. 5.4 bags/acre), and stronger perceived commercial orientation (63% vs. 35%). Despite these gains, smallholder farmers in villages affected by LSAIs cultivate marginally less land (3.8 vs. 4.2 acres) amid higher shortages, demonstrating a greater reliance on title deeds (34.1% vs. 15.9%). While LSAIs serve as catalysts for smallholder commercialisation by enhancing efficiency and market linkages, they exacerbate land inequalities and displacement risks if safeguards are not implemented. These findings underscore the need for inclusive policies and balanced approaches that harness positive spillovers while ensuring equitable and sustainable commercialisation. The study recommends further research that employs causal methods to quantify long-term impacts on commercialisation trajectories.

Poverty remains one of the main development challenges in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where most rural people rely on small-scale subsistence farming as their primary source of food and income. The study explores the potential, challenges, and fate of rural livelihood diversification, rural development and poverty alleviation in SSA. The study was guided by the PRISMA procedure to systematically review and analyze 48 peer-reviewed articles published from 2015 to 2025. The study revealed that rural tourism and eco-tourism, agricultural diversification, rural electrification, aquaculture, and information and communication technology have the potential for livelihood diversification in SSA. Limited access to finance, inadequate infrastructure, lack of education and training, and climate change hinder the effective alleviation of rural poverty in SSA. To overcome these challenges, investing in low-cost innovation, human capital, improving credit availability and accessibility, market access, and infrastructure improvement is crucial. The study provides three key novel contributions: an integrated multi-sectoral diversification pathway, an analysis of the interdependencies between infrastructure deficits, climate resilience, and policy gaps, and a stakeholder-oriented framework for implementing solutions.

BackgroundHealthcare accessibility remains a critical challenge in many low-and middle-income countries, where disparities between rural and urban areas persist. This study, conducted in Dodoma region, Tanzania, models the determinants of healthcare accessibility, aiming to generate evidence that informs policy interventions for equitable healthcare service delivery in underserved populations.MethodsA cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Data were collected from 1,009 households (urban 556; rural 453) across four selected districts withing Dodoma region, Tanzania, using a structured questionnaire digitized and implemented through KoboToolbox. The bivariate analysis and binary logistics regression were used to assess the determinants of healthcare accessibility. Fairlie decomposition was also used to assess and explain the healthcare accessibility disparity between urban and rural areas.ResultsAmong the 1,009 households surveyed, 45% had access to healthcare services, with urban households having higher access compared to rural households. Significant determinants of healthcare accessibility included healthcare insurance cover [(AOR = 72.006 p < 0.001), CI:19.573 – 264.895], household size [(AOR = 0.713, p < 0.05), CI: 0.536 – 0.947], age of the head of household [(AOR = 0.830 p < 0.001), CI:0.785 – 0.878], and Out-of-pocket costs used for the last illness episodes [(AOR = 0.404 p < 0.01), CI:0.139 –1.167]. Additionally, decision-making authority within households, payment methods, and the presence of chronic illness showed significant or partial influence on accessibility. Fairlie's decomposition revealed that health insurance and the age of the head of household account for the largest (93.4%) share of the disparity in healthcare accessibility between urban and rural households. These findings underscore the complexity of healthcare access, providing actionable insights for policy interventions to address rural–urban disparities.ConclusionThe study highlights the importance of health insurance coverage in improving healthcare access, emphasizing the need for targeted policy interventions to address rural–urban disparities and improve health outcomes, considering unique rural household needs.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-025-22909-8.