Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-8-2026

Abstract

Nepal’s constitutional commitment to a “socialism-oriented” state places social justice, equitable access to resources and housing, and protection of marginalized populations at the center of national development discourse. However, persistent landlessness, informal settlements, unemployment, youth outmigration, and unequal access to infrastructure reveal a significant gap between constitutional aspirations and socioeconomic realities.

This article examines lessons Nepal can draw from Tanzania’s experience with Ujamaa, the African socialist development model initiated by President Nyerere in 1967. Using comparative policy analysis, published research, official documents, and exploratory field observations from selected Tanzanian locations, including the capital and villages in the Iringa Region, the study evaluates Ujamaa’s achievements and limitations. It assesses their relevance for Nepal’s landless populations and smart-settlement initiatives. The analysis focuses primarily on rural and peri-urban development and does not examine urban squatter housing and rural-to-urban migration.

The comparison demonstrates that some lessons from Tanzania can be considered for Nepal’s own program. Ujamaa contributed to national integration, a shared linguistic identity, literacy, primary education, and rural services. However, it also reduced household autonomy, disrupted existing livelihood systems, and failed to achieve sustained increases in agricultural productivity, employment, and income.

The article also briefly discusses Nepal’s own Go to the Village Campaign of 1967, which had mixed success, and Korea’s generally successful 1970 Saemaul Undong movement for a comparative perspective of village-oriented national programs.

The article proposes a Smart Settlement Framework for Nepal based on verified beneficiary identification, differentiated tenure and housing options, voluntary participation, livelihood-oriented site selection, serviced land, cooperative enterprise, accountable local governance, and measurable pathways from social protection to economic mobility.

The central lesson from Tanzania, Korea, and Nepal is that social justice in settlements depends not only on redistribution but also on providing economic opportunities and decentralized administration.

Language

English

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