The Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) has participated in the 3rd National ICT Summit, which brought together stakeholders to explore how artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and innovation can support Uganda’s ambition of achieving 10X economic growth and building a USD 500 billion economy.
Organised by the ICT Association of Uganda, the summit was officially opened by Justine Kasule Lumumba, Minister for ICT and National Guidance, who represented President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Discussions focused on how technology can drive productivity, innovation, value addition and market expansion across Uganda.
Lumumba emphasised the importance of developing home-grown digital solutions while creating more opportunities for Ugandans to participate in innovation. She also called for universities and higher education institutions to strengthen their roles as centres of research and innovation, with ICT playing a greater role in transforming the economy.
Dr Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, highlighted several developments in Uganda’s digital transformation journey. These include aggregated procurement of government IT systems, the establishment of six regional ICT hubs supporting innovation and the automation of business registration processes.
Zawedde noted that achieving Uganda’s economic ambition will require sustained annual growth of approximately 15% to increase the economy from around USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion. She identified ICT as a strategic contributor through digital infrastructure, innovation and technology-driven productivity.
The summit also highlighted the growing importance of artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure in supporting economic transformation, creating new opportunities and improving the efficiency of public and private sector operations.
For UICT, participation reinforces its focus on developing a digitally skilled and industry-ready workforce capable of contributing to Uganda’s digital transformation and broader economic objectives.
The institute said the summit provided an important platform for dialogue, collaboration and innovation among stakeholders across Uganda’s ICT ecosystem, while strengthening conversations around the role of technology in achieving the country’s long-term economic ambitions.
