National ICT Innovation Expo starts tomorrow; over 80 ICT startups to exhibit
This July 2019, SafeBoda, a Ugandan based and birthed venture-backed bike-hailing start-up announced they had opened their operations in Kenya, East Africa’s biggest economy. The company is also in advanced stages to open up their operations in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and most populous country. Safeboda is one of a few Ugandan companies daring to set-up in Kenya and later alone Nigeria in the far-off west Africa- but if this sounds odd to you, then you understand Uganda’s ambition to increase its export earnings by leveraging ICT exports. Currently, Uganda’s ICT exports are miniscule and form an estimated less than 1% of total exports- but Uganda, looks to increase this to 40% by 2040. Currently, over 60% of Uganda’s exports are agriculture-based. Safeboda and over 80 other mainly ICT startups as well as government MDAs will from tomorrow December 17th -18th exhibit their prowess and potential at the inaugural National ICT Innovation Expo on Tuesday 17th December at the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT), grounds in Nakawa, starting at 09am. The Chief Guest will be H.E. the President of the Republic of Uganda and the function will be attended by the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, Government Officials, Development Partners, Academia, Private Sector, Civil Society, Innovators, Innovation Hubs and Venture Capitalists. Hon Frank Tumwebaze, the outgoing MoICT & NG Minister and one of the key brains behind the Expo says the Expo will showcase the bountiful ICT innovation potential Uganda boasts, and the growing digital ecosystem that has been fostered by both Government endorsement — through programs like the National ICT Initiatives Support Program — and private sector investment. Organised by the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance (MoICT & NG) under the theme: “Accelerating investment in digital innovation”, the Expo is meant to “encourage the…