Absa Bank supports Makerere Centenary celebrations with shs65m donation

Absa Bank Uganda has donated  Shs 65 million towards Makerere University’s centenary celebrations.

The commitment will go towards supporting the university’s year-long anniversary celebrations, which were launched in November 2021.

Opening its doors to 14-day students in 1922, Makerere University has grown to become one of the most prestigious learning institutions in Africa.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, of Makerere University, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe lauded Absa Bank for its support, noting that the company’s dedication to supporting education and skills development of youth in Uganda was of mutual interest to the institution.

"Makerere University welcomes Absa Bank’s support through this partnership that will benefit both the students at Makerere University and the youth in Uganda as a whole. This gesture acknowledges that you cannot talk about Uganda’s development and socio-economic transformation without involving the youth. Makerere and Absa are both in the business of giving the youth a platform to achieve their full potential. This partnership will therefore inspire our students and the youth, in general, to innovate and contribute significantly to the transformation of Uganda," he said.

Nawangwe said the sponsorship from Absa Bank is aligned with Makerere University’s strategic plan (2020-2030), which focused on making the institution research-intensive.

Mumba Kalifungwa, Absa Bank Uganda’s managing director said they are honoured to be coming on board to commemorate this great milestone with Makerere University.

"Partnerships of this kind align with and are a testament to our strategic purpose to bring possibilities to life. Access to education remains one of Africa’s biggest challenges and thus education and skills development remains a key focus as the bank supports youth access education through our scholarship programme, employability through the ReadytoWork initiative, and partnerships with institutions of higher learning like Makerere," Kalifungwa.