THE PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF TRANSFORMING CITRUS FRUIT FARMERS’ ECONOMY THROUGH ICT DELIVERED ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN TANZANIA

Abstract

There is growing interest in the roles played by entrepreneurship as a catalyst to achieve economic and social development objectives, including growth, innovation, employment and equity. The main objective of the paper is to critically examine the prospects and challenges of using ICT delivered entrepreneurship education to transform rural farmers’ economy. The study employs exploratory design using a survey approach. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 50 farmers and 5 trainers at Muheza in Tanga region, Tanzania through self-administered questionnaires, interviews and Focus Group Discussions. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis. The study recommends that, the Tanzanian government should harness and enable the entrepreneurial spirit and skills of farmers by ensuring that entrepreneurship education policy and good infrastructure are in place.