A 12-person IBM expert team selected from five countries has forwarded recommendations to the Tanzanian government on ways to ensure timeliness and availability of information needed by farmers to grow crops more successfully, feed more people and become more economically sustainable.
The team which was part of IBM’s Corporate Service Corps also suggested ways Tanzania government can make information readily available to graduates in a way that will prepare the educated populace for better paying jobs; a plan to improve the convenience of air travel in Tanzania; grow tourism and encourage investment.
The recommendations presented were based on a 30 day in-depth consultations with the private and public sectors, including Tanzania’s Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology, Tanzania Horticultural Association, Tanzania Airport s Authority, and Vocational Education and Training Authority.
The consultation undertaken during the engagement were coordinated by the Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) under the Ministry of Communication, Science and Technology together with the Digital Opportunity Trust.
The report presented contains a detailed automated and instantaneous framework in which farmers could use mobile phones to request and receive critical information via voice calls or text messages whenever needed, a move it believe will result to better and more timely agricultural and economic decisions.
To achieve this, the Tanzania Horticultural Association could partner with mobile service providers so as to provide information ranging from pricing and weather data, to tips on techniques such as pesticide use, it said.
The IBM experts believes such a system could overcome some of the challenges inhibiting the agricultural sector and Tanzania’s economy.
Tanzania has 44 million hectares of arable land but only 23 oercent of it is used. Uneven investment in agricultural technology has lowered agricultural productivity. However, the government is implementing reforms to realize the National Development Vision 2025 and reduce poverty, a report stated.
Country General Manager, IBM Tanzania, David Sawe, said the “These recommendations come at an opportune time, with the President of Tanzania having launched the “Kilimo Kwanza” campaign a couple of years ago to support the country’s efforts to reach the National Development Vision 2025.”
He also said that he expected any developments made in Small-Holder Agriculture to touch the lives of a majority of Tanzanians.
The IBM pro bono team also suggested that the country’s aviation can progress and compete better internationally if Tanzania Airport Authority work more closely with the tourism industry and expand existing Airports.
On vocational training, the experts said information and communication technology can be used to improve the quantity, quality and ease of learning and teaching in Tanzania by using existing material from the internet and utilizing a range of communication technology to make educational information more readily available.
The IBM’s Corporate Service Corps is a global, pro bono initiative designed to spur economic growth by providing problem-solving assistance to educational institutions, small businesses, non-governmental organizations and governmental institutions mostly in emerging markets. Since its launch in 2008, the Corporate Service Corps has deployed more than 500 IBM employees on 50 teams to South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco and Egypt.
