By Andrew Cohen Amvesi
ARUA. The Information and Communication Technology Association of Uganda (ICTAU) has launched the first student chapter in Uganda.
This was during a function presided over by Dr. Aminah Zawedde, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of ICT and National Guidance at Muni University in Arua city on Friday.
Zawadde was at Muni University on behalf of Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance to officially launch the regional ICT Innovation Hub.
During the function, Gideon Nkurunungi, the ICTAU Chief Executive Officer (CEO) also announced the historic launch of the first student chapter in Uganda at the institution.
“Today, we stand at the threshold of a new chapter in Uganda’s journey towards digital excellence. The inauguration of the Regional ICT Innovation Hub is a clear indication of our commitment to harnessing ICT for national development,” Nkurunungi, who represented Elizabeth Ntege, the ICTAU President said.
“We too have something to celebrate following the benchmark of the hubs and in a bid to utilize them both by the professionals, entrepreneurs, andour first student chapter in Uganda and it has started at West Nile. We held a meeting today with regional representation, innovation and linkages at Muni University,” Nkurunungi added.
He noted that these hubs represent a fusion of talent and innovation, where experienced ICT professionals and enthusiastic students collaborate to transform ideas into tangible solutions.
According to Nkurunungi,it is in these centers of creativity that Uganda’s digital future will begin to take shape.
“Looking ahead, Firstly, the National ICT Summit in August will be a platform where innovations nurtured in these hubs can be displayed to the nation (Digital Transformation Roadmap checking, showcase of innovation checks), illustrating the practical impacts of our collaborations. Secondly, at the ICT Awards and Dinner at year’s end, we aim to celebrate the achievements within these hubs. This event will not only recognize individual and collective accomplishments but also motivate our entire ICT community to strive for excellence,” Nkurunungi stressed.
He assured the public that the ICT Association of Uganda is a pivotal non-profit member-based organization committed to advancing Uganda’s ICT sector.
Nkurunungi said ICTAU is a beacon of ICT professionals, policy makers, researchers and companies offering them a dynamic forum for exchange of ideas, innovative approaches and pioneering strategies aimed at steering the ICT sector forward and thus the ICT sector is second to agriculture in job creation.
In her remarks, Dr. Zawedde pointed out that the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance like Nkurunungi has said, came up with a digital transformation program, a roadmap aimed at supporting the government to grow digitally.
“To grow digitally, we need infrastructure. As a government, we have rolled out connectivity; setting up the backbone and we are coming up with a program to expand this connectivity. We are focusing on infrastructure, setting up connectivity, setting up hubs, setting up data centers to be able to store our data and also setting up computer labs and making sure that people have equipment such as computers, affordable devices among others,” Zawedde stated.
Meanwhile Prof. Simon Anguma Katrini, the Muni University Vice Chancellor pledged that the University will continue cooperating with the Ministry on matters of ICT infrastructure development, ICT utilization and harnessing the benefits for growth towards the aspiration of vision 2040.
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