A digital skills programme supported by MTN Uganda has trained more than 32,000 young people, with 90 percent of advanced trainees securing jobs or starting businesses within six months, officials said on Tuesday.
The MTN ACE Tech Programme, implemented at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, is part of efforts to tackle youth unemployment and expand opportunities in Uganda’s growing digital economy.
Speaking during an inspection of the facility, Allen Kagina, a trustee on the MTN Foundation Board, said the programme is already delivering results.
“This is working,” she said, pointing to improved access to digital tools and skills for young people.
Uganda continues to face high youth unemployment, with 16.1 percent of those aged 18 to 30 jobless, over 10 million youth outside work or training, and about 700,000 new job seekers entering the labour market each year, according to officials.
Since 2022, the programme has invested in infrastructure, equipment, and training systems at the hub, enabling digital skilling, incubation, and business acceleration.
Of the 32,125 individuals trained, 19,781 were male, 12,248 female, and 96 persons with disabilities.
Kagina said access to modern facilities such as computer labs, video conferencing suites, and innovation labs is helping bridge the gap between skills and employment.
“A young professional can now serve clients globally from here. This is a job-creation tool,” she said.
Officials said the hub also supports Uganda’s National Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Policy, which aims to create 150,000 jobs by 2030 by positioning the country as a regional outsourcing hub.
Head of the hub, Flavia Opio, said the partnership has transformed the facility into a functional innovation centre.
“We had the mandate but not the means. This investment has made us operational,” she said.
Steven Kirenga of Centenary Technology Services said the programme has also built systems to manage innovation, including onboarding, incubation, and compliance processes. “We did not just equip the hub. We built systems that make it work,” he said.
The programme aligns with government targets under the National Development Plan IV, which aims to create nearly 885,000 jobs annually and reduce youth unemployment. Officials say the digital economy will play a key role in absorbing the growing labour force.
With the first phase completed, the programme is now expanding to regional centres, including Gulu, Kabale, Busitema, and Soroti, to extend opportunities beyond Kampala.
Officials say the expansion will help scale a model that has already shown strong results in equipping young people with skills and connecting them to jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities.
