Four Ugandan innovators awarded sh74m for Dubai product marketing

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Four Ugandan innovators have been awarded $20,000 (sh74.7m) to showcase their products in Dubai.

Under the Uganda Japan-Connect project, four innovators who participated in a competitive information technology competition (ICT) competition, each awarded $5000 (sh18.6m) to pitch ideas regarding their products.

With support from the Japanese Government, the Ministry of ICT and Information Guidance in partnership with Japan International Corporation Agency, (JICA) Uganda has supported Ugandan innovators to market their products to achieve more revenue and investments.

During the project progress review, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of ICT, Dr Amina Zawedde, revealed that the UJ-Connect project has supported the ICT Ministry and that of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives in concluding the intellectual property guidelines for locally developed systems, applications, and innovations.

“There is a collaboration between the ICT ministry and education ministry. This collaboration is helping us to conclude the ICT skills standards that will be adhered to by all ICT professionals in Uganda,” explained Zawedde.

Since the education ministry has incorporated digital within its curriculum, Zawedde said they are improving digital skilling aimed at enhancing and improving the curriculum.

Regarding the project, Zawedde disclosed that so far, 53 people have been trained in information security and artificial intelligence, in addition to 65 others who will soon complete their training in data management and application development.

Zawedde, noted that the trainers have 25 skilled innovators to date, and 150 staff of other organisations have also received the training.

She said 1000 students have benefited from their ICT competencies within the last four months.

The PS made the remarks on Friday during the Uganda ICT industry promotion project held at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, Kampala.

Why ICT crucial

Zawedde elaborated that the UJ-Connect project aims to promote Uganda’s ICT industry in the aspects of enterprise and human resource competitiveness and solve issues in Japan by matching Uganda’s ICT talents and entrepreneurs.

“We have had three months of training of innovators to be able to build their capacity in pitching, building business plans, and be self-reliant to stand on their own to promote their products. The four winners will be taken to Dubai to further pitch their products,” Zawedde elaborated.

Yoichi Inoue, the JICA chief representative together with representatives from JICA during the Uganda ICT industry promotion project at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, Kampala on July 26, 2024. (Credit: Juliet Kasirye)

As the ministry reviews the project's progress, she emphasised the need to ensure that the ecosystem of promoting ICT industry in Uganda is strengthened.

“With these programmes, we are trying to make sure that we create an environment that favours information to thrive and also accelerate digital transformation,” she said.

Zawedde stressed that the ministry is focusing on supporting policy development, and policy implementation that is aimed towards creating an enabling environment for innovators.

She remarked that one of the deliverables of the project is to ensure that they strengthen their capacity for the ICT trainers, innovators, and instructors of innovators.

“We are focusing on rolling out infrastructures so that we have much of our country covered with connectivity. We want to ensure that we have access to devices so that people are hooked online and also ensure that the cost of getting devices and connectivity is affordable.”

Zawedde said her ministry is encouraging innovators to take as many services online as possible to improve service delivery, efficiency, and convenience in accessing services.
The PS noted that for any business to thrive in today’s digital space, it should have an enabling digital component.

 Cyber security

In order to close the digital skilling gap, Zawedde said there is a need to strengthen cyber security data protection and privacy through creating awareness, building capacity and also focusing on digital skilling to close the digital divide between the digital natives and digital migrants, and those who are not digitally enabled at all.
She cited innovation and entrepreneurship as key to development.

“With business matching, we are getting companies in Japan interested in employing Ugandan talent, and our job is to make the talent have the basic requirements that are required for the employers to take us on,” explained Zawedde.

JICA chief representative Yoichi Inoue, said, the project requires a lot of stakeholder engagements between the private sector and the government of two countries, that is Uganda and Japan.

“We confirm the progress of the project, more project activities will be realised in the remaining years of the project. However, let us think about the sustainability of these achievements,” Inoue stated.

He commended the effort and delegation of the private sector stakeholders towards the implementation of this project.