Uganda Targets USD 500bn Economy With AI, Digital Infrastructure and Innovation Push
Lumumba emphasised the need for Uganda to develop home-grown digital solutions while creating more opportunities for citizens to participate in innovation.
The Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) has participated in the 3rd National ICT Summit, which focused on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), digital infrastructure and innovation to support Uganda’s ambition of achieving 10X economic growth and building a USD 500 billion economy.
The summit, organised by the ICT Association of Uganda (ICTAU), was officially opened by Justine Kasule Lumumba, Minister for ICT and National Guidance, who represented President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Discussions centred on how ICT can drive productivity, innovation, value addition and market expansion across Uganda.
Lumumba emphasised the need for Uganda to develop home-grown digital solutions while creating more opportunities for citizens to participate in innovation. She also called for universities and other higher education institutions to become stronger centres of research and innovation, with ICT playing a greater role in transforming the economy.
Dr Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, highlighted progress in Uganda’s digital transformation. This includes the aggregated procurement of government IT systems, the establishment of six regional ICT hubs to support innovation and the automation of business registration processes.
Zawedde noted that Uganda’s economic ambition will require sustained annual growth of about 15% to move from an economy valued at approximately USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion. She identified the ICT sector as a strategic contributor to achieving this target through digital infrastructure, innovation and technology-driven productivity.
For UICT, participation in the summit reinforces its focus on developing a digitally skilled and industry-ready workforce capable of supporting Uganda’s digital transformation and broader economic growth. The institute said the summit also provided a platform for dialogue, collaboration and innovation among stakeholders in the country’s ICT ecosystem.
