The project ‘Technical Assistance and Training to Uganda on National ICT Development Strategy’ is using a holistic approach with policy recommendations, cross-cutting capacity development interventions and technical pilots to support Uganda’s transformation into a digitally enabled society and knowledge economy. As such, the project contributes through its implementation to the national Digital Transformation Roadmap (2023-2027).

The project, with its technical areas that span a review of the national broadband policy, big data and AI landscape assessments, and a strategy for 5G, among others, is implemented by ITU, with the Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance. The South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund (SSCAF)/ Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (GDF) through the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of the People’s Republic of China as its representative partner provides financial support to the project.

The project is guided by Digital Uganda Vision (DUV) 2040 and its five strategic pillars, which serves as the national policy and strategic framework that reviews, integrates, consolidates, and improves all the existing ICT strategies, policies and plans into one overarching digital vision for Uganda.

Bolstering ICT development and advancing socio-economic advancement in the country, three components of the project are key to implementing the national Digital Transformation roadmap for Uganda:

1. Crafting policy recommendations: including on last mile connectivity, broadband and 5G uptake, common utility infrastructure sharing, big data e-waste and extended producer responsibility, among others
2. Enhancing digital capacity: with training activities lined up throughout the year including on cyber incident and risk management programmes, data privacy management with AI, Child Online Protection, spectrum monitoring and management training, new and emerging tech, big data analytics among others; while undertaking a nation-wide digital skills assessment to ensure that there is good understanding of where gaps exist to meet current and future needs in the digital economy, and
3. Executing pilot projects and use cases to support the implementation of the policy recommendations.

Many of the project’s cross-cutting capacity development activities that cater for advanced technical training for government officials as well as basic digital skills courses delivered to entrepreneurs, teachers, and health facility practitioners in rural Uganda, are delivered in partnership with the Uganda Institute of Communications and Technology (UICT). UICT also serves as one of ITU’s 14 Digital Transformation Centers (DTCs) that are spread across the globe serving communities with the digital skills training. 

To foster a community that is digitally literate, the project is instrumental in contributing to the country’s overall digital transformation agenda, promoting employment, and fostering sustainable development. 

This is an ITU Development #DigitalImpactUnlocked story

About the project

Also read