Themed “Shaping Uganda’s Digital Future: Bridging Skills, Innovation and Opportunity” the job fair provided a dynamic platform for participants to connect with potential employers, gain insights from keynote speakers, and explore the latest trends in technology. Tens of job opportunities and internships were showcased by leading companies in the ICT industry, including Huawei Technologies (U) Limited.

Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja upon arrival, inspected the different exhibition booths from the different companies that were showcasing what they do and what opportunities they are offering to the youth in the ICT sector of Uganda. In her opening remarks, she highlighted the government’s commitment and prioritization of ICT in its development plans for the socio-economic transformation of the country.

“Through strategic investments in infrastructure, skills development, and innovation, we are creating an enabling environment for ICT to thrive,” said Rt. Hon. Nabbanja. “ICT remains one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, offering limitless opportunities and unlocking opportunities for economic growth, empowering our youth, and positioning Uganda in the global digital economy.”

Rt. Hon. Nabbanja applauded the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance and Huawei Technologies (U) Limited for organizing initiatives that aim to bridge the digital divide and skill mismatch gap to unlock the potential of our youth and build a robust ICT ecosystem.

Senior officials from the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, and other government MDAs were present at the job fair. Hon. Dr. Chris Bayromunsi, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance in his keynote address pointed out that the ministry is charged with the mandate of driving digital transformation in the country and ensuring technology benefits all Ugandans. “We must invest in young people and make them an asset for the country, not a burden,” he said.

Adding to his remarks the Permanent Secretary Ministry of ICT, Dr. Aminah Zawedde said the ministry’s goal is to create at least 30,000 direct jobs related to the ICT sector. In addition, she said, “We are emphasizing innovation and interpretation to get solutions that address the challenges facing the country.”

See also: Gov’t launch ‘UBC Front Bench’ program to enhance public engagement, first episode hosts ICT Ministry

Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong said that ICT is a key driver to a country’s development. The industrial chain cooperation, one of the 10 partnership actions announced by China during the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in September this year, includes plans for China and Africa to build a digital technology cooperation center and initiate 20 digital demonstration projects, he said. “With its continued growth, I believe the ICT sector can create more job opportunities for talented young men and women, greatly addressing their concerns and fostering digital inclusiveness,” Zhang said.

Deputy Managing Director of Huawei Technologies (U) Limited, Ssali Gao emphasized Huawei’s commitment to bridging the gap between education and the industry. “At Huawei, we believe technology is a bridge to opportunity. They say that thanks to technology, the world has become one small global village and I could not agree more,” he said —adding “Soon, technology and ICT will be the backbone of every industry in the world. This means that skilled personnel in these sectors will be highly needed.”

“This, ladies and gentlemen, is why we are attending the National ICT Job Fair 2024,” Gao ends his remarks.

Attendees directly met and engaged with leading Ugandan institutions in the ICT industry offering jobs, internships, and training exploring potential roles in software development, data science, network engineering, and cyber security, to mention but a few. The skills development and training workshops provided hands-on sessions led by experts from Huawei and other industry leaders which offered training in sought-after skills, including coding, digital marketing, resume writing, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

Furthermore, esteemed speakers and panelists from government, academia, and the private sector discussed trends, challenges, and future prospects in Uganda’s ICT landscape availing connections with ICT professionals, innovators, and peers to explore partnerships and collaborations.

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The Green Growth Hackathon focused on eco-friendly farming and enhancing food security—key areas critical to ensuring a sustainable future. Over the course of an intense 48 hours, participants were challenged to develop and present solutions that could transform industries, improve resource efficiency, and mitigate the effects of climate change.

At the heart of the hackathon was the competitive spirit that drove participants to push the boundaries of what’s possible. After rigorous rounds of brainstorming, coding, and collaboration, four innovations emerged as the winners;

• Grin Tech took home the top honors, emerging as the overall winner for its groundbreaking innovation. The judges were impressed with Grin Tech’s solution’s potential to revolutionize eco-friendly practices.
• MicroVest and Hi Monitor shared second place. Both teams earned a coveted opportunity to pitch their ideas at the prestigious Latitude 59 event in Nairobi, positioning them on a global stage where they can attract investment and scale their solutions.
• Harvest Link, won the People’s Choice Award, proving that public support can be a powerful force in driving sustainable change.

The hackathon didn’t end with the announcement of the winners. Four other promising innovations—Farm Quest, Eco Flash Dryer, Hydroponics, and Agri Link—secured spots in the Innovation Hub’s upcoming bootcamp. This subsequent section offers these teams a useful possibility to refine and in addition increase their answers with the guide of mentors and industry specialists. The bootcamp will assist these innovators beef up their standards, scale their ideas, and prepare them for actual-global software, in the long run amplifying their impact on inexperienced technology.

The Green Growth Hackathon is a testament to the power of collaboration to deliver meaningful change. Bringing together key partners from both the public and private sectors, the event brings innovation that goes beyond the hackathon. All partners play an important role in creating an environment in which sustainable innovation is possible.

The Green Growth Hackathon proved that digital innovation and environmental sustainability can continue. The event highlights the importance of equipping young inventors with tools and resources to empower them to create a greener future, creating a space where ideas can turn into actionable solutions.

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This follows the conclusion of MTN Ace-Tech’s first phase last month which involved training 130 individuals in software development.

In the second phase, MTN Uganda Foundation and its partners Centenary Technology Services, the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance, and The Innovation Village selected 20 enterprises that cut across various sectors including digital financial services, agriculture, and transport — to participate in the inaugural MTN Ace Tech program’s incubation phase at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa in Kampala.

Bryan Mbasa, the Senior Manager at MTN Foundation said the 20 enterprises were selected from a pool of 40 that submitted their applications this year and therefore they will undergo a 13-week training in commercializing their business ideas and managing growth.

“Throughout this journey, the participants will attend all the master classes, workshops, webinars, networking events, and so on, and access tools and high-quality coaches and mentors to support in applying the concepts and insights gained, from the various program sessions towards refining the enterprises,” Mbasa told the press.

Mbasa said enterprises that will emerge best in the incubation will have an opportunity to meet a wide range of prospective local and international investors for an opportunity to raise an early-stage financing round to spur their growth.

“We, at MTN Uganda, believe in the power of entrepreneurship to create a positive social and economic impact in our communities, and throughout this incubation,” he said. “We’re proud to support entrepreneurs and enterprises to unlock their potential and create opportunities for growth and development.”

Uganda is ranked as one of the most enterprising countries in the world with high percentages of new business each year, according to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). However, the business failure rate remains also high due to inadequate skills and proper product positioning.

This also coincides with the government’s National Development Plan (NDPIII) which recognizes the potential of ICT to drive economic growth, innovation, and job creation.

Rowena Turinawe, the Head of Innovation and Digital Services at Centenary Technology Services (Cente Tech), said they are glad to be part of the MTN Ace Tech incubator because it aligns directly with Cente Tech’s mission of providing holistic technology solutions and delivering innovation that matters to enable and inspire entrepreneurial growth.

“This initiative will provide pathways for highly skilled innovators to create sustainable and scalable solutions that support service delivery, create employment opportunities, and improve the use of ICT innovation and technology development in the country and this fits perfectly into our agenda,” Turinawe said. “We want to see the youth rise to their potential, equip them with technical skills, open opportunities for them to gain employment, and spur innovation as well as entrepreneurship in Uganda.”

Arthur Mukembo, the Future Lab Studio Lead at Innovation Village said the new partnership, the Innovation Village will support innovators to build and scale solutions by creating pathways that give these enterprises opportunities to build better enterprises.

“This innovative will also enable enterprises to access market opportunities, and unlock relevant funding to sustain their growth as they work to improve the lives and livelihoods of Ugandans as they scale into Africa and beyond,” he said.

Meanwhile, Agnes Lumala, the academic registrar at the Uganda Institute of Information Communications and Technology (UICT), which hosts the National ICT Innovation Hub, said the government’s partnership with the private sector is now crucial to driving new technologies.

“Whereas pushing the digitalization agenda is crucial for the government to attain economic recovery, we cannot achieve it without the support of the private sector,” said Lumala — acknowledging the contributions of MTN Foundation, Centenary Technology Services, and the Innovation Village towards the digital agenda.

MTN Ace Tech is one of the three MTN ACE programs launched in December last year and implemented in partnership with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, The National ICT Innovation Hub, Centenary Technology Services, Refactory, MUBS Entrepreneurship Innovation, and Incubation Centre, Engage Consults and MTN’s Fintech subsidiary, MTN MoMo Uganda Limited to empower the youths.

The MTN Ace Tech focuses on up-skilling the youth interested in tech-related innovations.

20 selected enterprises

1. Kacyber Technologies: KaCyber’s multi-model e-ticketing and payment platform provides a secure and efficient ticketing and payment solution for the public transport sector in Africa.
2. Quest Lyft Ltd: QuestLyft leapfrogs capital-intensive infrastructural challenges encountered in delivering quality education by leveraging the internet to deliver curriculum-aware digital learning content.
3. Microfuse Computer Technologies- Hardware: The Microfuse stick computer is a low-cost, portable plug-and-play pocket computer that transforms every TV screen into a fully functional industry-grade computing user-friendly system. It’s a magic stick
4. Rent Beta: Provides financial services in the housing sector through a platform that makes it easy to pay and manage your rent.
5. Ride Link Limited: It enables users to be able to get quick Logistics quotes that are matched
6. Alipata Limited: Alipata provides a unified digital commerce marketplace to facilitate trade among Africa’s informal merchants and leading consumer brands.
7. Springtime Technologies Limited: Springpesa platform provides electronic payment solutions and wallets to individuals, businesses, and ecommerce platforms so as to promote efficiency in daily financial transaction processing.
8. Kiso Fresh: Fruit & Veg on-demand service.
9. Nutra Vest Limited: Agtech Solutions connects farmers to customers and logistic services that create efficiency in the value chain.
10. Wal-e- Visual: Wal-e-Visual recognizes that digitalization and emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) can play a significant role in making education more accessible and affordable
11. Waape-A digital talent management workplace.
12. Kwetu Auctions and Reality-A robust timed online auctioning platform providing a virtual reality experience in auctioning
13. Ablestate Creatives Limited-ICT Services platform that develops talents in software developers and connects developers to gigs & employers
14. Kungula (D&J Global Solutions)- Kungula is a software application providing a platform for information sharing between Agro-Stakeholders in Uganda
15. Coin Pay-Financial Services for Students & Parents to conduct cashless transactions
16. Autofore-Autofore is developing a platform to help car owners access affordable quality car maintenance services.
17. MTN Ace Graduate- Nasasira Nebert-Financial Services product with a focus on a machine to machine
18. MTN Ace Graduate- Lucky Ninsiima-Dairy farm management platform
19. MTN Ace Graduate- Ronald Ainebyoona– Worked on service product development of Voice Bundles API with MTN Momo
20. MTN Ace Graduate- Maclean Nankumbi-Worked on a cloud computing software to enhance communication to target customers

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