Under the theme “Shaping Uganda’s Digital Future: Bridging Skills, Innovation and Opportunity” Huawei Technologies in partnership with Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, will hold the 3rd National ICT Job Fair 2024 from 21 – 22, 2024 at the National ICT Innovation Hub, Nakawa in Kampala.
According to officials this annual event aims to bridge the gap between Uganda’s rapidly growing ICT sector and its talented youth by providing a platform for networking, skills development, and job opportunities.
“This year’s job fair is focused on the need to empower the next generation with the necessary digital skills, fostering an environment where innovation thrives and career opportunities in technology expand,” officials said in a press statement.
The event will feature leading ICT companies, start-ups, government agencies, and academic institutions, all with one goal in mind: to connect Uganda’s young professionals with transformative job opportunities in the technology sector.
The National ICT Job Fair 2024 will also host a series of interactive activities, including: Employer Booths where attendees will directly meet and engage with leading Ugandan institutions in the ICT industry offering jobs, internships, and training, exploring potential roles in areas such as software development, data science, network engineering, and cyber security.
Huawei Technologies has supported initiatives that enhance the ICT talent ecosystem through the National ICT Job Fair, Huawei ICT Academy, and Huawei ICT Competitions.
Similarly, this job fair is an excellent opportunity for youth to take the first step in building their ICT careers.
Students, recent graduates, and young professionals interested in ICT careers are encouraged to register early to secure their spot and stand a chance to win various Huawei devices and gadgets.
ICT experts have said Uganda’s ICT sector has tremendous potential to contribute to the country’s economic growth, social development and human rights protection however, despite the significant progress made in recent years, Uganda’s budget allocation for ICT is relatively low compared to other African countries like Rwanda and Kenya.
In the financial year of 2022/2023, the government of Uganda allocated $33million towards the ICT sector compared to Kenya ($132million) and Rwanda ($38million)
According to Uganda Bureau of Statistics, Uganda’s internet penetration rate was 24.6%, with only 4.3% of the population being social media users, indicating the need for increased investment in the ICT sector. This lack of investment has resulted in the slow uptake of digital services and low internet penetration, hindering the enjoyment of digital rights by Ugandans. Additionally, the lack of adequate investment in ICT has resulted in a low level of awareness of digital rights and hence not every Ugandan can access the digital market
In January 2024 the number of internet users had increased to 13.3 million internet users, reflecting a 27.0% penetration rate. From January 2023 to January 2024, the number of internet users grew by 1.2 million, or 10.3%. However, 35.95 million people, or 73.0% of the population, remained offline at the start of the year.
In FY 2024/25, the government provided over Shs246 billion (USD 66 million) to continue developing the ICT and digital transformation through the further expansion of internet connectivity and digital infrastructure across the country; continuing the rollout of digital services across Government to improve efficiency of service delivery, transparency and accountability and leveraging Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and ICT to create employment opportunities for the young people.
However, Uganda still faces significant challenges in bridging the digital divide and ensuring that each Ugandan enjoys their digital rights and leverages the digital economy. The country has a low number of social media users, representing only 4.3% of the population, and limited internet penetration at 24.6%. Compared to neighbouring countries like Rwanda and Kenya, Uganda’s budget allocation for the ICT sector is relatively low.
The low budget allocation to the ICT sector hinders access to digital services by Ugandan citizens and yet ICT has been determined as a key driver for Uganda’s socio-economic transformation.
This is under the 2040 Digital Vision and National Development Plan 3. This vision aims to leverage the transformation power of ICT to improve the lives of Ugandans, enhance the competitiveness of the economy, and promote good governance.
