Budding innovators to be mentored under Service Cops, ITC partnership

________________

At least over 100 budding young university innovators are set to benefit from a new 5-year partnership newly signed between Insurance Training College (ITC) and Service Cops Limited, aimed at boosting innovation for Uganda’s Insurance and Financial Services Sectors.

This Innovation Hub marks a significant milestone in advancing innovation, digital transformation, and skills development within Uganda’s insurance and broader financial services sector.

The ITC–Service Cops Innovation Hub will deliver a dynamic platform that will bring together academia, industry players, and technology experts to collaboratively develop practical, market-ready technical expertise that will be available to serve in the Insurance industry.

Speaking during the signing of the partnership on Tuesday in Kampala, Joseph Ndiho, Executive Chairman Service Cops explained that the initiative aims to bridge the long-standing gap between traditional insurance operations and emerging digital technologies.

This will be efficiently executed by carefully curating a mixture of enterprise technical skills and Insurance industry knowledge to produce professionals who will be positioned to serve in the advancement of the digitisation of the Insurance industry in Uganda and beyond.

He added that their target will be university students who are ready to explore new heights with the goal of generating new and fresh ideas that can turn around the insurance and financial sectors.

“This program reflects our commitment to advancing insurance technology in Uganda and Africa at large. As active participants in the digital journey of Insurance in Uganda, we are convinced that the growth of Insurance penetration in Africa and other emerging markets shall be largely driven through digitisation to be able to deliver relevant consumer-centric but affordable products using the right distribution channels,” Ndiho noted.

L-R: Kamugasho of Services Cops and Sseremba of ITC pose with the signed documents. (Courtesy)

The Managing Director Service Cops, Mathias Kamugasho, stressed that the Innovation Hub being established is a strategic investment in Africa’s insurance future.

“Through our partnership with the Insurance Training College, we are building a scalable model to develop skilled professionals and innovative insurance solutions that can be replicated across the continent. We are committed to positioning Africa not just as a consumer of financial technology, but as a global contributor driven by collaboration, strategic partnerships and inclusive digital transformation,” Kamugasho explained.

Saul Sseremba, the Chief Executive Officer of ITC, highlighted that the college will provide the institutional framework, including curriculum development, certification, and coordination with regulators such as the Insurance Regulatory Authority, ensuring alignment with industry standards. 

“We welcome this partnership with Service Cops Limited that is united by a shared vision for the future of insurance in the region. Keeping in mind the excellence and rigor that have defined us for decades, we are confident that this Innovation Hub, hosted at ITC, will fill technological gaps and leverage the vast potential of our sector,” Sseremba added.

About the program

The program will run for five years and will have an annual structure of a nine-month intensive training experience where Service Cops Limited will play a central role in funding the program.

They will also deliver cutting-edge enterprise technical training in areas such as software development and digital financial solutions, while the ITC will focus on delivering a market-centric insurance training program designed for individuals with a technology background.

Criteria for selection

Participants must be university students willing to undergo rigorous training

Innovators must be interested in adventuring into new opportunities

Selection will be made from across all universities in Uganda

Innovation Hub will focus:

Developing a new generation of innovation-driven professionals equipped with both technical and industry-relevant skills in developing market-ready solutions for the insurance sector.

The other is promoting research, collaboration, and knowledge exchange across institutions and industry stakeholders while providing hands-on training, internships, and industry placements for graduate students.

This collaboration represents a shared vision to strengthen Uganda’s innovation ecosystem, empower young professionals, and accelerate the adoption of digital solutions across the insurance and financial services landscape. The first cohort is expected to commence later this year.