The Government of Uganda is extending its science, technology and innovation programmes to Northern Uganda in a renewed effort to identify and empower local innovators whose ideas can contribute to the country’s social and economic transformation.
Through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MoSTI), government is seeking to tap into the region’s creative and technical potential by providing opportunities for individuals with innovative ideas, practical skills and locally developed technologies.
The Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Hon. Beatrice Akello Akori, made the announcement during a community engagement at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Regional Headquarters in Gulu City, where she highlighted government’s commitment to ensuring that innovation opportunities are accessible to all regions.
Hon. Akello observed that innovation support has traditionally been concentrated around Kampala and the central region, adding that government is now taking deliberate steps to identify talented individuals in communities across Northern Uganda and other parts of the country.
She noted that many people possess valuable skills and ideas but lack the necessary resources, technical guidance and infrastructure to develop them into viable solutions.
The Minister therefore encouraged local innovators, including mechanics, artisans, self-taught inventors, young entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts, to present their inventions, prototypes and concepts for consideration under the government initiative.
The programme will accommodate innovations across several key sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, transport, renewable energy, automotive technology, machinery and other areas with the potential to improve productivity and address community challenges.
According to Hon. Akello, individuals with promising innovations may be considered for technical assistance, infrastructure and financial support through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to help advance their ideas from concept to practical application.
She emphasised that innovation should not be judged by academic qualifications or formal institutional affiliation, but by the ability to develop creative and effective solutions to existing problems.
“People with practical skills and locally developed ideas have an important role to play in Uganda’s development,” she noted, while encouraging young people and other aspiring innovators to take advantage of the available opportunities.
The initiative is expected to strengthen Northern Uganda’s contribution to the national industrialisation agenda, stimulate entrepreneurship, create employment opportunities and encourage the development of technologies that respond to the needs of local communities.
Hon. Akello called upon all individuals with innovative ideas, functional prototypes or practical inventions to participate in the programme and ensure that their creativity translates into tangible benefits.
Innovators across Northern Uganda have been advised to register and submit their proposals through their respective local government offices, District Commercial Officers (DCOs), or the designated outreach desks at the Office of the Prime Minister Regional Headquarters in Gulu City.
The submitted innovations will undergo further guidance and assessment to determine their suitability for possible integration into relevant innovation support programmes under MoSTI.
The government’s expanded outreach is viewed as a significant step towards recognising and harnessing the region’s technical expertise, creativity and entrepreneurial potential.
As Uganda continues to pursue its industrialisation and technological advancement goals, the initiative seeks to empower local innovators to develop homegrown solutions that can improve livelihoods, generate jobs, enhance productivity and contribute to the country’s sustainable economic growth.
