The Ministry of ICT awards innovators in ICT under NIISP (National ICT Initiatives Support Program) Phase lll in an Award ceremony that took place today at 10am. The main objective of the NIISP Program is to facilitate the growth of the ICT innovation ecosystem in Uganda.
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The Ministry of ICT called for innovators in the field of ICT, individuals who use digital solutions to address challenges in the lives of people in their communities. The National ICT Initiatives Support Program (NIISP) called for innovators in the following areas which are: applications for innovations that support the fight against the novel coronavirus, health information systems and applications to improve public service delivery.
The notification of applications was made in April 2020 and lasted until 30 April 2020. It attracted over 950 web applicants that were reviewed by the experts’ NIISP Selection Committee. The expert committee is named by the Hon. Minister for ICT and National Guidance.
During the award ceremony that took place today at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Minister for ICT Judith Nabakooba said, “The government recognizes the potential of ICT to transform the economy and people people’s lives through job creation, accelerated economic growth and significantly increased productivity as set out in the Uganda Vision 2040.”
Ministry of ICT awards innovators with huge opportunities
The government awarded the 2020-2021 winners, 45 successful innovators and will receive a total of shs7.39 billion as government’s contribution to see innovation grow in the country. The Minister for ICT congratulated the winners for their great innovative ideas and that the government looks forward to seeing them commercialized.
This investment by the government of Uganda aims at increasing youth employment opportunities. By contributing to innovations in the country, the government helps them grow to a sustainable level where they can expand and create opportunities not only for themselves, but for other people too.
One of the recognized successful projects that have been recognized in this ceremony where Ministry of ICT awards innovators include the Academic Information Management System (AIMS) which has been well implemented in universities country wide.
Through such opportunities where the Ministry of ICT awards innovators, it empowers the youth for increased participation in the ICT industry since more young people in Uganda are taking the initiative to expose themselves to ICT and its advantages. This has helped them grow in amazing ways with start-ups that are recognized nation wide and globally. These companies however, require funding as most of them face a lot of challenges that hinder them from advancing at the beginning stage. With continuous funding, these start-ups can grow to have a significant impact on the entire country and also contribute to its economic development.
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