Co-operatives and ICT integration in Tanzania

Abstract

This paper focuses on ICT integration in the Co-operative sector in Africa and Tanzania in particular. Through a review of the existing literature, the paper reviews the ICT landscape in Tanzania and discusses the nexus between ICT and Co-operative societies with a view of raising awareness of the crucial role of ICT in co-operative development. Similarly, challenges and opportunities associated with ICT in co-operatives are highlighted as well as the objective to inform strategies for effective adoption. The findings suggest that most of the underscored challenges, with an exception of infrastructure-related challenges, are internal to Co-operative societies. In that regard, this paper recommends that ICT projects in co-operatives must be emphasised and designed in a manner that observes systematic procedures for establishing such projects. The paper concludes that integrating ICT in co operatives outweighs any justification for the otherwise decision.