President Museveni congratulated innovators for waking up and putting their dreams into practice, will speaking at the ICT Expo where he was guest of honor earlier today at Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) Grounds.
Speaking to over 200 innovators, the president applauded the out going Minister of ICT Frank Tumwebaze for his steadfast pro-activeness that has enabled the ICT sector develop into a marvel.
The main objective of the ICT Innovation Expo was to showcase the potential of ICT Innovation in the country.
President Yoweri Museveni has called on young innovators in the country to use the Information Communication Technology to create wealth and jobs.
“This is a good place for business. You should be able to create wealth and jobs through ICT,” he said.
The President was today speaking at the launching of the 1st ICT Expo in in the country at the Uganda Institute of Information and Communication Technology in Nakawa, Kampala. Organized by the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, the Expo has the objective of showcasing Uganda’s Innovation potential. The Expo has brought together different stakeholders in the ICT Innovation Eco-System including Fintech Innovators, start-ups and various government agencies.
President Museveni noted that East Africa is full of potential for business since it is still in need of the ICT solutions. He, therefore, urged Ugandans, especially the youth, to take advantage of the available infrastructure and solve societal needs.
Mr. Museveni challenged local innovators to not only learn how to use the new gadgets but also make an effort in developing their own to help in the banning of imports as well as creating jobs for the citizens. He emphasized mandatory use of online procurement so that every transaction is traceable to stamp out corruption.
He saluted the innovators and pledged more government support to the sector once they fully utilize the already available funds.
Outgoing Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, thanked President Museveni for coming to interact with young people. He said that gone are the days when the country was relying on imported Applications saying that Ugandans are now able to develop and use their own which will save both money and jobs.
The main objective of the ICT Innovation Expo was to showcase the potential of ICT Innovation in the country.
Ministry of ICT and National Guidance through the National ICT Initiatives Support Program (NIISP) has so far held two Annual ICT Innovation Awards where 72 ICT innovators were given financial support to assist them develop their systems to maturity, build enterprises and penetrate the market.
The support so far has been over 15 Billion Uganda Shillings in form of direct financial support or support through the local ICT Innovation Hubs.
The ICT Innovation Hubs provide training, mentorship and placements, the Ministry is currently working with, HiveColab, Resilient Africa Network (RAN), Makerere Incubation and Innovation Center (MIIC), CAMTech, Outbox, Innovation Village among others.
Government has also embarked on building ICT Innovation hubs and workspaces countrywide to support efforts to increase ICT Innovation.
