FROM PAPER TO DIGITAL: THE JOURNEY TO PRESERVE THE NATION’S HISTORY

Adeladius Makwega

Office of the President – Department of Archives and Records

Every nation has its own history. A history that does not live through storytelling alone, but is written, preserved and passed from one generation to another.

Within carefully arranged files, ageing papers and documents carrying records of years gone by, lies a broader story of Tanzania—a story of its Government, institutions, leaders, citizens and the events that have shaped the journey of the nation.

It is in protecting this historical treasure that the Office of the President – Department of Archives and Records continues to fulfil its responsibility of ensuring that the nation’s written heritage is not lost, damaged or eventually forgotten.

The Director of Archival Services in Tanzania at the Office of the President – Department of Archives and Records, Athanas Bernad Kolokota, says the Government continues to place strong emphasis on the preservation of national archives through modern methods and technologies, with the aim of ensuring that these records remain secure and accessible for present and future generations.

Speaking in Dodoma on September 9, 2026, Kolokota said the documents preserved by the Department are not merely pieces of paper, but important components of Tanzania’s history, identity and national heritage.

According to Kolokota, archived records play a vital role in providing evidence of various Government activities and institutional operations, while also serving as valuable sources of knowledge for researchers, students, academics and members of the public seeking to understand the country’s history and development.

“To a large extent, we provide this public education in collaboration with our stakeholders, including the media,” Kolokota said.

However, in a rapidly changing world driven by technological advancement, the preservation of records can no longer depend solely on cabinets, paper files and storage facilities.

Kolokota says the Department has continued to take deliberate measures to restore documents that have deteriorated, become fragile, torn or damaged for various reasons, before preserving them through digital systems.

This process is not simply about converting paper documents into electronic files. Rather, it is part of a broader strategy to safeguard important national information from the risk of loss or destruction, while making it easier for authorised users to access the records.

Through digitisation, information that might previously have required considerable time to locate among physical files can be accessed more efficiently through digital systems, subject to the procedures and conditions governing the use of archival records.

“Our goal is to ensure that the information contained in the nation’s archives is protected, preserved for a long time and made readily accessible to users whenever it is needed. Digital technology is an important part of achieving this objective,” he said.

Viewed more broadly, this responsibility is closely linked to the nation’s duty to preserve evidence of its own journey.

This means that documents used yesterday in Government operations may become important evidence tomorrow; records that may appear ordinary today could become valuable sources of research decades from now; and information that might otherwise disappear through the deterioration of paper can remain part of the national memory through digital preservation.

In that sense, archival preservation is not merely about keeping pieces of paper safe. It is about protecting memory, preserving history and ensuring that future generations have an opportunity to understand the journey of their nation.

Kolokota further says the Department’s responsibility goes hand in hand with educating the public about the value of archival records and the importance of using them as reliable sources of information for research, education and other academic and professional purposes.

He says collaboration with stakeholders, particularly the media, remains important in reaching a wider audience and creating greater public awareness about the importance of archives as a national repository of knowledge and history.

Under its institutional structure, the Department of Archival Services is one of three principal departments operating under the Office of the President – Department of Archives and Records.

The other two are the Department of Records Management and the Department for Honouring Founders and Managing the Presidential Libraries.

This institutional structure reflects the importance attached to records and archives in governance and national development. Properly preserved information can serve as a foundation for research, a record of events, evidence of Government activities and a source of knowledge for generations to come.

And as technology continues to transform the way the world stores, manages and accesses information, Tanzania is also moving into an era in which its history cannot remain confined to paper alone.

It is a history that must be protected, preserved and transferred into systems capable of making it more accessible to those who need it today, tomorrow and even to generations yet unborn.

That is the foundation of the Government’s efforts, through the Office of the President – Department of Archives and Records, to ensure that the nation’s written heritage remains alive—not only for today, but for the Tanzania of tomorrow.

Mwanakwetu, are you there? Remember:

“From Paper to Digital: The Journey to Preserve the Nation’s History.” Kolokota.

Wishing you a wonderful day.

Email: makwadeladius@gmail.com
Telephone: +255 717 649 257