First Lady Mrs Museveni commends Huawei for empowering Uganda’s youth through ICT programs

________________

The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni, has applauded Huawei Technologies—Uganda for its role in advancing digital skills among Ugandan youth through its various ICT capacity-building initiatives.

"I thank Huawei for being a significant part of our work in this digital era. Thank you for identifying and nurturing the talent of our young people in the area of ICT," she said on Thursday, August 07.

The First Lady was speaking at a ceremony to officially award students who excelled in the 2024-2025 Huawei ICT Global competition and to launch the Huawei 2025-2026 ICT competitions in Uganda.

Hosted at State House Nakasero, the ceremony was attended by the State Minister for Primary Education, Dr. Joyce Kaducu, Chinese Ambassador to Uganda  Zhang Lizhong, top officials from Huawei led by East Africa Multi Country Regional CEO—Dong Xuefeng, senior officials from the Ministry of Education and Sports led by Permanent Secretary Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, and beneficiary students from various universities.

Mrs. Museveni celebrated the achievements of Ugandan youth, including Michelle Chemutai, the first female in Africa to obtain the prestigious Huawei Certified Internetwork Expert (HCIE) certification—a recognition of advanced skills in complex network infrastructure design, configuration, optimisation, and troubleshooting.

She also acknowledged Huawei's Seeds for the Future program, which, since its inception in 2016, has enabled 60 Ugandans to travel to China for hands-on exposure to cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and networking.

"Our young people have not only participated in Huawei programs but have also excelled, and I want to congratulate them, and also thank Huawei for this God-given opportunity to this generation of young people," Mrs. Museveni said.

A release from her office states that Mrs. Museveni congratulated the youth who have experienced these empowering programs and prayed they would use this opportunity to secure a bright future.

"This is the best experience for our children. In China, they are challenged by seeing their peers who are hard-working and exposed. It pushes our youth to dream bigger, to work harder, and to want to succeed," she stressed.

The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni officially awards the Huawei ICT Global competition students 2024-2025.

The First Lady presented a dummy cheque of sh12m to Ugandan students for their outstanding performance in the 2024–2025 Huawei ICT competitions. 

Michelle Chemutai received sh8.9m in recognition of her exceptional achievement as the first African female Huawei Certified Internetwork Expert.

Mrs. Museveni also signed a commemorative "Seeds for the Future" T-shirt, underscoring her endorsement of the program's vision and legacy, and unveiled the Huawei 2025-2026 ICT Competitions in Uganda.

She extended appreciation to Huawei for donating a new giant screen (Huawei Idea Hub) and expressed confidence in continued collaboration with the tech giant in advancing Uganda's digital education agenda.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Lizhong praised the growing Uganda-China relations and commended Huawei's role in developing the next generation of African innovators.

He emphasised that nurturing ICT talent is essential for national development, economic growth, and global competitiveness, and commended Huawei Uganda for its commitment to Uganda's ICT talent development.

"For years, Huawei has been a vital partner in bridging the digital skills gap through initiatives like the Digitruck, Seeds for the Future, Huawei ICT Academy, and the ICT competition. Huawei's investments in ICT solutions and talents have accelerated connectivity across Uganda. This embodies the spirit of mutual benefit and shared growth that defines China-Uganda cooperation," Ambassador Zhang said.

"Investing in people is investing in sustainable progress," the Ambassador stated, praising the programs that bridge digital gaps and prepare Uganda for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

He reaffirmed China's support for Uganda's digital transformation under bilateral frameworks like the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Belt and Road Initiative.

Dr. Kaducu connected the Huawei ICT celebration to President Yoweri Museveni's fourth national transformation pillar—ICT.

She praised the First Lady's leadership and recognised Huawei as a vital partner in the Education Ministry's ICT agenda. 

"Under Mama's leadership, the Ministry has launched a robust Digital Transformation Strategy and forged partnerships like the one with Huawei that continue to uplift our youth and institutions," she said.

Huawei's East Africa Multi Country Regional CEO, Dong Xuefeng, highlighted Huawei's 24-year presence in Uganda and reaffirmed the company's commitment to the country's digital education ecosystem.

"We stand ready to mobilise global resources to support Uganda's education digital transformation," he stated.

He proposed signing a Strategic Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Huawei and the Ministry of Education and Sports. 

He also asked the First Lady to support single-source procurement to facilitate the Smart Education Project, aimed at digitally transforming classrooms across Uganda.

Blessed Nanyonga, a 2025 Seeds for the Future Program participant, expressed gratitude for the hands-on training in Shenzhen, noting that the technical training, cultural exchange, and global networking opportunities had transformed her perspective and capabilities.

"Through this esteemed initiative, we were equipped with cutting-edge ICT skills, innovative thinking, and global perspectives that have broadened our horizons and empowered us to drive positive change," she said.

She thanked Huawei Technologies Uganda, the Ministry of Education and Sports, and the  First Lady for fostering an environment that enables such partnerships.

According to Sooma Mukyala Fouziya, the Public Relations Consultant for Huawei Uganda, the technology giant is committed to continuing with its corporate social responsibility programs that directly impact people.

These include the Huawei ICT competitions, Huawei Seeds for the Future program, the Huawei Digitruck program, the campus recruitment program, and the smart education project.