More than 30,000 women received digital skills training through programmes supported by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) between 2020 and 2026, according to the commission’s Executive Director, Nyombi Thembo.
Speaking at a stakeholder dialogue at Mestil Hotel on Thursday, Thembo said the programmes had also reached more than 11,000 participants in rural communities, trained over 6,000 young people in ICT and media skills, and supported more than 5,000 micro, small and medium enterprises.
He said the next step was to bring the different organisations involved in digital training closer together so that their work reaches more people and responds to the skills employers and communities need.
The dialogue brought together government officials, telecom companies, civil society organisations, universities, development partners and international participants. UCC organised the meeting through the Uganda Communications Universal Service and Access Fund (UCUSAF), in partnership with the British Council and with support from the British High Commission and UK International Development.
The British Council was represented by its Country Director, Millicent Mugabi.
Thembo said UCC’s programmes had targeted people who risk being left behind as more aspects of everyday life, from learning to business and public services, move online.
“Between 2020 and 2026, UCUSAF programme reports indicated that more than 30,000 women have benefited from digital skills training, while over 11,000 participants have been reached through rural community digital skilling programmes,” he said.
Other interventions have supported farmers, older persons and persons with disabilities. The commission has also funded ICT training for teachers and helped establish ICT laboratories in schools.
For Thembo, the value of these investments lies in what people can do with the skills they acquire. Access to a device or an internet connection, he said, must be accompanied by the ability to use it for work, learning, business and everyday needs.
But he acknowledged that UCC could not meet the country’s training needs on its own.
“We appreciate all these efforts. At the same time, we believe there is an opportunity to connect our work more effectively,” he said.
He urged institutions to build on one another’s strengths. Organisations with training facilities, for example, could work with community groups that already reach underserved populations. Technology companies could contribute equipment and expertise, while employers could help identify the skills needed in the workplace.
UCC, he added, was open to partnerships within its mandate that would improve training, reach underserved communities and give participants opportunities to put their new skills to use.
Thembo credited the British Council with bringing institutions together to share their experiences and identify areas for cooperation. He said Uganda could draw lessons from the United Kingdom’s efforts to help people with different levels of digital ability participate more fully in society.
Representatives from the Communications Authority of Kenya also took part, providing an opportunity to compare experiences within the region.
The meeting comes as UCC marks 25 years of efforts to extend communication services to underserved communities. Thembo said that work had broadened over time: expanding telecommunications infrastructure remained necessary, but people also needed the knowledge and confidence to use it.
He urged participants to turn the discussions into practical partnerships, with results that could be seen in classrooms, workplaces, businesses and communities.
