KAMPALA – The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance together with the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) have said confirmed that all set for National ICT Innovation Expo scheduled for Tuesday 17.
The expo whose main objective is to showcase the potential of ICT Innovation in the country will be held at the Uganda Institute of information and Communications Technology (UICT) Grounds in Nakawa.
Officials have also confirmed that President Yoweri Museveni will grace the event and that he will be flanked by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, Cabinet Ministers, Government Officials, Development Partners, Academia, Private Sector, Civil Society, Innovators, Innovation Hubs, Venture Capitalists and many more.
The National Information Technology Authority (NITA-U) shall provide free Wireless Internet (WiFi) during the function whose is a theme: “Accelerating investment in digital innovation”.
The Expo is meant to “encourage the creation of inclusive and sustainable wealth, employment, development, and growth,” according to a statement by Hon Frank Tumwebaze, the outgoing MoICT & NG Minister and one of the key brains behind the Expo.
Tumwebaze in a statement said the Expo also aims at promoting “locally-developed ICT innovations that have been fostered within Uganda and expose the enabling environment that has facilitated this innovation to the public and private sectors.”
“The event will showcase the bountiful ICT innovation potential Uganda boasts, and the growing digital ecosystem that has been fostered by both Government endorsement — through programs like the National ICT Initiatives Support Program — and private sector investment. The exhibition will host incredible, locally-conceived and realized innovations at every point in the innovation process, from incubation to commercialization,” said Frank Tumwebaze.
Other agencies National Information Technology Authority (NITA), ACIA, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB).
Ministry of ICT 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 to develop their systems to maturity, build enterprises and penetrate the market.
The support so far has been over 15 Billion Uganda Shillings in the 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.
Uganda’s ICT exports are minuscule and form an estimated less than 1% of total exports- but Uganda looks to increase this to 40% by 2040. Currently, over 60% of Uganda’s exports are agriculture-based.
