Govt to create fund for youth innovators
The Prime Minister, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, looks at a drone made by Joseph Ssentongo, a student, at the National Agriculture Education show in Jinja at the weekend. PHOTO/TAUSI NAKATO
What you need to know:
Ms Nabbanja says the students have “amazing ideas” but only need funds to support them.
The Prime Minister, Ms Robinah Nabbanja, says the government will support young innovators as a way of creating more employment opportunities in the country.
Ms Nabbanja said the students have “amazing ideas” but only need funds to support them, and suggested a specific fund for young innovators.
“I have seen a number of young people coming up with good innovations; on behalf of the government, I will take this concern to Cabinet so we come up with a policy,’’ she said.
She was speaking at the closure of the second edition of six-day National Agricultural show at Jinja showground at the weekend.
She also pledged to support Joseph Ssentongo, a student of Janani Schools in Luwero, who came up with an innovative skill of using a drone in disease-control.
Ms Nabbanja’s statement followed an appeal from the president of Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE), Dr Dick Nuwamanya Kamuganga, requesting for funding of young innovators.
“We need to be supported by the government; we shall follow all the innovations from all the young people up to the village level. We have 70,000 villages across the country and we have a presence as UNFFE in those villages,” Dr Kamuganga said.
He added: “We have ICT for farmers and we can digitise these innovations. Funding will be available to promote innovations by our own children which will accelerate the agro-industrialisation agenda of the President.”
The deputy coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Maj Gen Sam Kavuma, who was represented by Lt Col Oguli Dhamuzungu, the Busoga Sub-region zonal commander, suggested the creation of a ministry responsible for inventions of young innovators so that they don’t go to waste if left unfunded.
Mr George Mutekanga, the Assistant Commissioner-in-charge of private schools and institutions of higher learning at the Ministry of Education and Sports, said the show, which was organised under the theme ‘empowering young Agripreneurship’, attracted 100,000 students from 110 schools across the country.
