UJ Connect Celebrates Another Milestone

On June 25, 2025, the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa buzzed with excitement as students, government officials, and development partners came together to celebrate a major milestone: the awarding of certificates to Batch 2 graduates of the UJ Connect Entrepreneurship Mentorship Program.

The event marked the culmination of a six-month mentorship program exclusively for students of the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT), designed to equip participants with entrepreneurial skills and foster innovation and startup development. Launched in November 2024, Batch 2 built on the momentum of the program’s first cohort, which supported 15 startups and awarded up to $5,000 in Proof of Concept (POC) grants to top performers.

Implemented through a strategic partnership between the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance (MoICT&NG) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the UJ Connect Project aims to develop Uganda’s ICT ecosystem. Under Output 4 of the project, the mentorship program blends practical technical training, hands-on entrepreneurial guidance, and tailored resources to transform student ideas into viable businesses aligned with Uganda’s socio-economic development goals.

“Mentorship is much needed, especially given the unemployment rate among youth in Uganda,” said Mr. Yamashita Hideshi, Senior Representative of JICA Uganda. “We look forward to conducting more cohorts of mentorship activities in the remaining years of the project, targeting students and early-stage entrepreneurs.”

Batch 2 engaged 231 UICT students and integrated the UJ Connect curriculum into UICT’s academic framework for sustainability. Of these, 12 standout participants completed rigorous assignments and developed market-ready business solutions addressing critical national challenges in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, education, student housing, and food delivery.

Among the innovative projects showcased at the ceremony were UNIHOSTEL, a smarter platform for students to find affordable and verified hostels; PULSEPAL, an AI-powered blood pressure monitoring solution for the 26% of Ugandans living with hypertension; LIBTRACK, a digital system for automating school and university library management; CAMPUS BITE, a student-centered food delivery app featuring AI-based meal recommendations; MKilima, a mobile and USSD service connecting rural farmers with urban buyers; and ATTENDIFY, a real-time school attendance monitoring system providing updates to parents. Each innovation was developed based on extensive market research and real-world needs, with many student teams now seeking partnerships and funding to scale their solutions.

“This is a testament to the ingenuity of our students and what is possible when we work together across institutions and nations,” remarked Ms. Sophia Nantongo, Undersecretary at the Ministry of ICT & National Guidance. “To the recipients of the certificates today, we thank you for your resilience. You are the future leaders who will shape Uganda’s digital economy.”

Beyond celebrating current achievements, the ceremony emphasized sustainability and future growth. Dr. Irene Nakiyimba, Deputy Principal at UICT, announced plans to institutionalize UJ Connect as a flagship program within UICT’s academic and entrepreneurship strategy. She explained that UICT will integrate UJ Connect into its core programming and launch an Innovation and Startup Support Hub to provide incubation, prototyping, mentorship, and investor-readiness services, with a focus on increasing inclusion for female students, rural youth, and persons with disabilities.

UICT’s Academic Registrar, Ms. Agnes Lumala, affirmed this commitment, highlighting UICT’s vital role in nurturing a steady pipeline of innovative talent ready for national and international opportunities.
Supported by JICA’s technical expertise, including Training of Trainers (ToT) for UICT faculty to ensure effective delivery of entrepreneurial education, the UJ Connect Mentorship Program has emerged as a powerful model for youth empowerment and digital innovation. It underscores MoICT&NG’s commitment to building a vibrant technology ecosystem through strategic partnerships.

As Uganda advances towards a tech-driven future, the UJ Connect initiative stands as a shining example of what can be achieved through collaboration, visionary leadership, and the unwavering belief in the potential of young innovators. With future cohorts on the horizon, the journey continues toward scaling new heights in Uganda’s digital economy.