The Minister of ICT and National Guidance and the Managing Director Huawei Uganda, Mr. Gao Fei launched the Huawei ICT Talent Development Report in Kampala on Friday 27th August 2021 at Kampala Serena Hotel.
Research shows that people and organizations’ ability to access and use ICT services is more likely to drive economic development than ICT education and skills.
Hon. Dr. Chris Baryomunsi who launched the ICT Talent development report, awarded the most Outstanding lecturer Mr. Olinga Peter John who trained the winners of the Huawei ICT Competition in 2020 both regional and global level.
He lauded initiatives such as the Huawei ICT Academy, Huawei ICT Competition, and Huawei Seeds for the future among others as helping to make Uganda realize its 2040 vision and 2014 National ICT Policy sooner since through initiatives such as these that involve skilling of young people, Uganda achieve socio-economic Development and be relevant in the new digital era.
The Minister of ICT and National Guidance said, “ICT is a critical part to Uganda’s socio-economic development and big enabler of job creation, business growth, innovation, export, and efficient public service delivery.”
The ICT minister revealed that Uganda wants to be the region’s top ICT-enabled country and to realise this digital transformation young people should have the skills, passion, determination and support to develop and use their ICT skills to drive this country forward. He added that Government needs partners in private sector such as Huawei, not only in implementing technology solutions, but more importantly in working together to build the skills in our current and future workforce.
“The NRM government have put digital upskilling a top priority and this is witnessed in the Vision 2040. Which is, Uganda shall develop and improve its ICT capacity, building efforts by adopting globally-benchmarked, industry-rated skills assessments, and training and certification standards. These efforts will be coupled with international industry collaboration in testing and certification standards,” he said.
The ICT minister said Uganda’s National ICT policy of 2014 highlights strategies of human resource development including inclusion of a comprehensive and regularly updated computer literacy module in the curriculum at all levels of education using international benchmarks as a reference.
Huawei has been playing an active role in Uganda’s digital transformation through technological infrastructure and digital upskilling. This has been the case since 2007 when Huawei started its collaboration with the Ministry of ICT when the National Backbone infrastructure project commenced.
Huawei ICT Development Report 2021 launch was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister Rukia Nakaddama Isanga, Minister of Education – higher education Hon. Dr JC Muyingo, and Chinese embassy Representative (the economic and commercial counsellor) Mrs. Jiang Jiqing and the Huawei Southern Africa regional VP Mr. Frank Yang Chen among others.
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