Makerere to showcase outstanding youth innovations

In a bid to promote outstanding youth innovations and youth enterprise in the country, Makerere University and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have orgnaised a Youth and Innovation Expo 2023.
The expo to be held under the theme, “Fostering Innovation for Uganda’s Transformational Development” will be held on October 6 and 7 at the university’s Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility with the deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa as the guest of honour.

Since its humble beginning in 1922, Makerere University has been able to transform communities and societies through its wealth of human capital, numerous research outcomes and technological innovations that have served Uganda, East Africa, Africa and the world at large. 
“We hope to showcase and exhibit the great strides Makerere and her alumni have taken towards Innovations and Enterprise over the last 100 years,” reads in  apart a joint statement by the organisers of the expo being sponsored by the United Nations Development Fund and MTN Uganda with Start Hub Africa.

In 2020, President Museveni launched the Youth4Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship Facility (Y4BF). The programme was developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with Stanbic Bank Uganda to address the problem of youth unemployment in Uganda.
The Facility was designed to respond to the effects of COVID-19 and beyond by driving social economic transformation. The facility has been implemented through the combination of innovation, creating jobs and fostering entrepreneurship by supporting access to an integrated mix of finance products, business management skills and market access to young women and men entrepreneurs and youth-owned MSMEs.

Through the program, UNDP said it had directly supported over 400 youth businesses and indirectly impacted over 6,000 youth through partnerships and outreach programs with partners like BRAC and the National Association of Student Enterprises (NASE Africa).

Makerere, being the oldest and biggest University in Uganda, is uniquely positioned to be a hub of many youth innovations through end-of-year course research projects. Together with UNDP, Makerere will showcase a number of youth innovations and youth start-ups which have successfully made the transition from research to commercial enterprises. 
“Through the exhibition, we also hope to create viable forward and backward linkages that will facilitate the creation of jobs and foster entrepreneurship by supporting access to an integrated mix of finance products, business management skills and market access to young women and men entrepreneurs and youth-owned MSMEs,” the statement adds.

What to expect

The Youth and Innovation Expo 2023 will bring on board a number of activations from its sponsors, 
Makerere@100 partners, University Internal and External partners such as MTN Uganda, Stanbic 
Uganda, Bank of Uganda, Absa Bank, Bank of Uganda to mention but a few.
The line-up of activations for the Expo include, Master classes especially relevant for the youth and students, panels sessions involving regulatory and compliance institutions for innovators, an Art Exhibition, a fashion show curated by Axarya Trends and the Margret Trowel School of Fine Art, a medical camp, Food vendor stalls, exhibitions from all ten colleges of the University and other University institutions to mention but a few. 

The two-day event will consist of a very comprehensive, insightful, and engaging program with an opening ceremony, a student-inspired fashion show, curated performances from the school of 
Performing Arts and Film, a showcase of student innovations, exhibitions of Innovations turned enterprises from the Youth4Business programme led by UNDP, among others.