_________________

For many decades, Makerere University has stood as a beacon of academic excellence and leadership in Africa, shaping the lives of thousands of individuals and leaving an unforgettable mark on the continent.

Apart from other innovations in car manufacturing, health, environment, and many others, the university has now created a data hub known as the MAKDATA system.

Prof. Umar Kakumba, the deputy vice-chancellor of the university, said during the launch on Thursday that the scarcity of information has been a bottleneck to the institution’s progress and ranking.

Prof. Umar Kakumba, MAK Deputy VC Academic Affairs explains the role of administration data to national development during the launch of MakData system at Makerere University on 4th April 2024. (Photo by Juliet Kasirye)

Makerere is ranked 16th among the top 200 best universities in Africa. Kakumba said the ranking could have been better had it not been uncoordinated data.

“We have the information, but it could not be found; it has been scattered and affected our ranking,” he said.

After the launch of MAKDATA, Kakumba said such issues will be no more and the system will help the country to get transparent information from the university.

He said data concerning the number of students admitted, enrolled, graduated, dropouts and staff (both academic and administrative) will be indicated in the system.

Data on research and innovations, papers, books published, and who was behind the success of the system will be allocated.

“It will help to easily and seamlessly provide information that can help the internal system of the university for improvement and also for the bigger stakeholders, including the governmental agencies and the industries,” said Kakumba.

He claimed that for a long time, the government has been wasting a lot of resources (though he could not quantify how much) to make policies without accurate data.

Accordingly, the accurate data from their system will be able to help the government redirect and predict the country’s development. Through this, it will be able to spot what is necessary and what is not, resulting in better service delivery.

“Once policies are based on information that is not accurate, that means the country will invest resources wrongly, give to the wrong people, and for the wrong reasons, leading to waste.”

With the MAKDATA system, there will be efficiency based on data that is accurate. For example, a college with lower academic staff, student numbers, overpriced programmes, or those relevant to the industry in creating employment will be detected.

Some commentators say that the research done mostly in Africa has neither helped learners nor the government make useful decisions out of it.

Uganda and other countries in Africa are facing challenges in climate change, unemployment among graduates, food security, and infectious diseases, all of which are mushrooming due to scattered information.

Kakumba said MAKDATA comes at the right time to address such issues and help communities move a step closer to development.

“Much as the government has a centralized institution to collect data, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), sometimes it may not pick institutional data like that of Makerere. This is because UBOS deals with a wide range of data collected from all over the country,” said Kakumba.

“Now Makerere is coming in with its institutional data system to help supplement what is already existing, especially if you are looking at areas of research and high education. That particular data, which is micro, will help the government towards focused planning."

Through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-Rif), the government contributes sh30 billion per year. This is aimed at fostering distinctive research to address some issues in the country.

Finance state minister Amos Lugoloobi said the government depends on cream data to make actual plans.

He said administrative data plays a critical role in official statistics by complementing survey data, enhancing data accuracy and reliability, improving data coverage and representativeness, supporting longitudinal analysis and trend monitoring, facilitating data integration and sharing, and strengthening evidence-based policymaking.

Lugoloobi said data sources are essential for producing high-quality, timely, and relevant official statistics that inform public policy, guide decision-making, and support evidence-based interventions to address societal needs.

From left to Right: Amos Lugoloobi (second left), State minister for Finance and Planning launches MakData system as Fred Masagazi Musaazi, Chair Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund, Assoc. Prof. Robert Wamala, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training, Prof. Umar Kakumba, Deputy VC Academic Affairs and Prof Henry Alinaitwe, Acting Deputy VC Finance and Administration look on. (Photo by Juliet Kasirye)

He asked Makerere to share the idea with other universities to do the same and improve management and accountability and also collaborate with some of the government institutions for proper management. 

Prof Henry Alinaitwe, the acting vice-chancellor of finance and administration, said the system will improve productivity and quality reports compared to the past.

Besides providing relevant information, he said other universities will learn from them and adopt the style to impact the communities they have.

According to Arinaitwe, data management systems play a critical role in ensuring integrity and help safeguard research data against unauthorized access, loss, or corruption, thereby enhancing the reliability and trustworthiness of research findings.