MBARARA — The Ugandan government through the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance is set to create approximately 100,000 jobs by 2030 through its newly drafted national Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) policy.
This initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology and National Guidance, aims to address pressing issues such as unemployment.
According to Christopher Yiiki, senior IT officer at the Ministry of ICT and national guidance, the BPO policy seeks to make businesses more accessible to the grassroots level. “We are trying to do this through creating innovation hubs…and so far, we have already put one at Kabale University, Soroti University, and Muni University in Arua,” Yiiki explained. These innovation hubs currently host over 400 dynamic and young innovators whose ideas will attract development partners.
Irene Karungi Sekitoleko, Senior ICT Infrastructure Engineer with the Ministry of ICT and national guidance, highlighted the framework’s aspirations, including the creation of 100,000 ICT jobs by 2030.
She noted that Uganda can tap into both global and domestic outsourcing markets, including overflow outsourcing, to achieve this goal.
Gideon Nkurunungi, CEO of the Information Communication and Technology Association of Uganda (ICTAU), emphasized the need for integration with the digital transformation roadmap by the private sector to fully leverage the opportunities specific to BPO services.
“The BPO market has evolved from conventional BPO competitiveness to current digital competitiveness, emphasizing the need for integration with the digital transformation roadmap by the private sector to fully leverage the opportunities specific to BPO services,” Nkurungi said.
Nkurunungi further stated, “ICTAU is committed to reshaping this landscape through capacity engagements at all levels. We have identified various BPO opportunity areas, categorized into low cost/low complexity, low cost/high complexity, and high cost/high complexity sectors. This strategic engagement with the Western Region illustrates the potential for Uganda’s BPO industry to thrive, driving economic growth and creating employment opportunities across the region. By focusing on key areas such as BPO, Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO), and other high-value services, we are paving the way for a robust and competitive digital economy in Uganda.”
George Bagambe a natural resources officer for Mbarara district asked the developers of the policy to factor in how to address the increasing cyber crimes.
The regional stakeholder engagement for Ankore subregion, held at Adit Mall in Mbarara City, brought together Sub County chiefs, Sub County chairpersons, Information Technology Officers of districts, and cities to discuss the BPO policy.
Once approved by the cabinet, the policy is expected to create a significant number of jobs and boost Uganda’s economic growth.
