Officials from the Ministry of ICT and Innovation Village possing for a group picture after signing the MoU. (Photos by Simon Okitela)
Simon Okitela
Journalist @New Vision
#MoICT#Innovation Village#Sign partnership#Aminah Zawedde#Japheth Kawanguzi
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MoICT | INNOVATION | MOU
The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance and the Innovation Village is looking to drive the ICT innovation agenda in Uganda, and to this effect, they have signed a memorandum of understanding to run for five years.
This is in line with the government’s commitment to creating a digitally driven economy, and a strategic partnership with the private sector to leverage each other to realize the universal goals of inclusion, sustainable development, economic progress, and poverty eradication through digital innovation.
Dr. Aminah Zawedde, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, said the partnership intends to unlock the market opportunity for Ugandan ICT innovators and facilitate a legal framework to support public-private collaboration to transform Uganda’s ICT innovation landscape for socio-economic development.
Aminah Zawedde The Permanent Secretary For The Ministry Of Ict (left) And Japheth Kawanguzi, Team Lead At The Innovation Village Pose For A Photo After The Signing Of The Mou In Kampala
“Our digital Uganda vision provides an overarching framework and unified ICT policy direction that responds to the national Vision 2040. Part of this strategy involves creating strategic partnerships that support forming a digitally knowledgeable and empowered society to inspire innovation and productivity of the people, organizations businesses, and Government” Zawedde said
The Permanent Secretary noted that together with the Innovation Village, they will identify and develop projects that support innovation-oriented activities, digital skilling, and tech-enabled businesses to leverage their infrastructure to spur the development of the innovation ecosystem in Uganda.
Japheth Kawanguzi, Team Lead at the Innovation Village, commended the partnership, stressing that it will see the government, through the ministry of ICT, support the ecosystem through financing mechanisms to deliver tailor-made services to young tech-preneurs through a series of business training, coaching, and mentorship to help young people transition into the employment and job creation sectors with the right skills.
“Together, we will work towards capacity building and development of innovators, and build a virtual factory network at the national level to empower ICT innovators and entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, with a focus on the competitive advantages of each of Uganda’s regions, aligned to the National Development Plan (NDP) III”
This move is strategically geared towards sustainably supporting the National ICT Initiatives Support Programme (NIISP) whose sole aim is to facilitate the creation of an ICT innovation ecosystem, equipping entrepreneurs with digital skills and finding a marketplace for Ugandan innovative digital products both locally and internationally.