KAMPALA — Uganda will mark this year’s World Population Day on July 11 with virtual celebrations hosted at the Office of the Vice President, as government and development partners call for increased investment in young people, technology and innovation to unlock the potential of the country’s rapidly growing population.
Speaking to journalists at the Uganda Media Centre ahead of the celebrations, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative Kristine Blokhus said this year’s theme, “Unlocking the Potential of Uganda’s Population,” focuses on investing in the country’s youthful population to accelerate sustainable development.
Blokhus said Uganda’s young population presents a major opportunity for economic transformation but warned that challenges such as teenage pregnancy continue to undermine the country’s development potential.
She revealed that Uganda loses an estimated 24 percent of its potential annually due to teenage pregnancy, stressing the need for greater investment in adolescent health, education and empowerment.
“Uganda has a young population that is healthy, energetic and full of potential. We must invest in them so they can contribute meaningfully to the country’s development,” Blokhus said.
She noted that the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) places human capital development at the centre of Uganda’s transformation agenda, making investment in young people critical to achieving inclusive economic growth.
State Minister for Finance, Planning and Economic Development (Planning) Amos Lugoloobi said World Population Day provides an opportunity to reflect on how Uganda can use technology and innovation to transform its youthful population into a productive workforce.
"Uganda possesses a young population, with 73 percent of citizens below the age of 30. The key question is how we can embrace technology to unlock this enormous potential," Lugoloobi said.
The minister said while Uganda’s population provides significant opportunities, it also creates pressure on employment, with nearly 700,000 young people joining the labour market every year.
He identified multidimensional poverty, low productivity, limited markets and inadequate living standards among the challenges that require innovative solutions.
Lugoloobi highlighted government programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), saying household poverty levels have reduced to 16 percent, but added that more effort is needed to ensure millions of Ugandans engage in productive economic activities.
He said Uganda’s ambition of becoming a $500 billion economy by 2040 will depend on accelerating technology adoption, supporting research and promoting innovation across sectors.
The minister called for expanded research beyond traditional sciences to include social sciences, management and other disciplines that can improve productivity and competitiveness.
He revealed that government is supporting more than 100 research, technology and innovation projects but cautioned that innovations that remain unused do little to improve people’s lives.
"Research, technology and innovation that remain in the library do not help our people. The private sector must actively engage in commercialising innovations," Lugoloobi said.
He urged every parish in Uganda to become a centre for research, innovation and technology, assuring innovators that government funding is available to support ideas that address community challenges.
"There is money to support these efforts. What we need are ideas that can solve community challenges, create jobs and improve productivity," he said.
World Population Day is observed annually on July 11 to raise awareness about population issues and highlight the importance of investing in people to achieve sustainable development.
