The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology and National Guidance (MoICT) collaborated with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to organize the ICT Business Tour On January 29th to February 4, 2023. The tour derived from the recently signed record of discussion of “ICT Industry Promotion Project” in November 2022 between the Ministry and JICA Uganda
JICA Uganda is part of Japan’s official development assistance effort, with a role in providing technical cooperation, capital grants and yen loans. JICA’s core development programs (aid modalities) are technical assistance programs/projects for capacity and institutional development, feasibility studies and master plans.
The ICT Industry Promotion Project aims at strengthening Uganda’s ICT Industry
through development projects, capacity building of the Ugandan engineers. With
the tour, JICA planned to attract the interest of the Japanese companies’ in
Ugandan ICT business, especially in ICT related human resource development,
employment in Japan and offshore development.
The main purpose of the ICT Business Tour aimed to encourage Japanese business owners to explore the possibilities of Ugandan ICT development and to discuss the potential and needs of the industry with the Ugandan government and private sectors. The SMEs and SDGs business support program was also promoted during the tour to maximize the impact of the ICT Industry Promotion Project.
The Targets of the ICT business Tour included;
Japanese private companies that are willing;
• To create opportunities for Business Process Outsourcing CBPO) & ICT services in Uganda.
• Interested in the potential of the African market.
• Building a network with Ugandan ICT-related companies, government agencies, and JICA.
• Start businesses that promote Digital transformation using ICT in Africa.
• Hire highly motivated and well-skilled human resources in ICT related or wider professions from Africa and Uganda.
• Start offshore development utilizing ICT human resources and companies.
The tour destinations were;
1.The Innovation Hub, Nakawa and. Uganda Institute of Information and Communication Technology ( UICT)
The BPO and Innovation initiative aims to create 400,000 jobs within the next five years to combat high youth unemployment. The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance is partnering with investors such as JICA Uganda to achieve this goal. The call for investors for the ICT Business Tour was a deliberate effort by the Ministry to create jobs and place Uganda at the forefront of the new wave of technologies. The Ministry aims to support ICT companies to accelerate the transition into a digital economy
By Nalwoga Hafswa Kato
