KAMPALA/Uganda: The Ugandan government has received the long-awaited report on the country’s Fourth Industrial Revolution strategy at the Office of the Prime Minister’s auditorium.
At a ceremony presided over by the Ugandan Prime Minister Rt. Hon Robinah Nabanja on December 8, 2022, the chairman of the National Expert Taskforce on Fourth Industrial Revolution and Emerging Technologies, Eng. John Nasaasira, handed over the report detailing what the experts believe is the possible direction the country should take in order to embrace the trending 4IR technologies in order to augment its socio-economic development agenda.
The Ugandan President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, established a National Expert Taskforce on the 4IR in 2019 to advise the government on how to establish a strategy for the adoption of 4IR technologies in its processes.
The Taskforce comprised recognized experts from the public, private, and development partner sectors from a range of fields like ethics, law, regulation, access and connectivity, financing, skills, and innovation. It is from a three-year study the report was generated from.
The task force’s specific Terms of Reference included:
1. To consider a national environmental scan and establish the current status of 4IR initiatives in the country;
2. To review existing national policies, legal and regulatory environment, and standards;
3. To recommend a comprehensive national ecosystem/strategy for the adoption and promotion of 4IR across a range of domains and activities;
4. To identify national challenges and risks for the adoption of 4IR;
5. To advise on an optimal national framework that will strengthen Uganda’s position as a regional hub for the 4IR;
6. To recommend a national institutional framework, regional and international partnerships, and collaboration in 4IR as well as incentives for the adoption of 4IR technologies.
Consequently, after a thorough mapping and study of the country’s priority areas for 4IR technological enhancement, it highlighted seven areas of focus upon which the Ugandan government should emphasize.
1. Enhance the development transfer and diffusion of 4IR technologies in Uganda’s key growth opportunities.
2. Build a strong healthy, knowledgeable, and productive population by leveraging emerging technologies.
3. Generate jobs through the export of technologies, digitally traded services, automated financial services and digitally augmented logistics and trade.
4. Leverage 4IR technologies in the establishment of smart cities and the management of critical resources.
5. Transform government performance and service delivery for improved standards of living, quality of life, and well-being.
6. Strengthen and stimulate research, innovation, and development in 4IR;
7. Support national security in the physical and digital worlds.
The task force members make four prayers to policymakers which have been inspired by the report and the findings from the three-year study. They are;
1. The rapid pace of technology transformation in the 4IR provides Uganda with a historic opportunity to meet its development objectives.
2. This opportunity represents real value at stake, which Uganda can unlock if the right conditions are put in place.
3. This strategy has identified what enablers need to be in place for this value to be realized, but now the real work must start to put this into action successfully.
4. The 4IR ecosystem in Uganda is large and complex, so adequately coordinating the many players who have a role to play in unlocking these opportunities is a cornerstone of this strategy.
In a brief summary, the report argues that:
“The world in 2020 has fundamentally changed due to the mainstreaming of technology integration in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Uganda has the opportunity to become a leading global player in harnessing 4IR applications to solve its development challenges with a concerted effort and a strategic focus on its areas of competitive advantage. This will require Uganda to take a proactive rather than reactive approach to creating opportunities and managing risks inherent in this new 4IR world. Harnessing 4IR opportunities for growth, competitiveness and human development will require a coordinated effort, not only among the government but also in the private sector and civil society. This effort includes targeting support for local innovation, localizing 4IR technologies in specific domains, developing an agile governance framework, upskilling the population, and ensuring 4IR connectivity so that all Ugandans can participate in and benefit from the 4IR economy.”
This strategy, adds to the report and employs a three-part framework to set out Uganda’s key 4IR opportunities, enablers, and delivery mechanisms.
The framework identifies four priority areas of opportunity that cover a variety of sectors and processes that will be critical to Uganda’s ability to navigate powerful forces of change.
These forces include climate change, rapid urbanization, the youth wave4, and the global dispersion of production. Building and scaling the opportunities across these zones will be instrumental in Uganda’s ability to realize structural transformation, harness the demographic transition, and mitigate emerging risks facing the global economy.
“Uganda has the opportunity to become a leading global player in harnessing 4IR applications to solve its development challenges with a concerted effort and a strategic focus on its areas of competitive advantage. This will require Uganda to take a proactive rather than reactive approach to creating opportunities and managing risks inherent in this new 4IR world. Harnessing 4IR opportunities for growth, competitiveness and human development will require a coordinated effort, not only among the government but also in the private sector and civil society. This effort includes targeting support for local innovation, localizing 4IR technologies in specific domains, developing an agile governance framework, upskilling the population, and ensuring 4IR connectivity so that all Ugandans can participate in and benefit from the 4IR economy,” adds the report.
Handing over the report, Hon. Nasaasira revealed that the strategy is anchored on “A continental 4IR hub that enables a smart and connected Ugandan society.”
He added that it is also anchored a mission to transform and accelerate Uganda’s development into a creative, innovative, productive and competitive society using 4IR technologies by 2040.
The minister of ICT and National Guidance under whose docket the task fell, Hon Chris Baryomunsi revealed that the report was good and informative and will help government accelerate social economic transformation of the country.
“The report is evidence of how man is using science and technology to domineer the earth according to God’s command as elucidated in the bible,” he said.
The Prime Minister Rt. Hon Nabanja promised that cabinet would adopt the report and consider it.
“Government is committed to studying this strategy and harnessing the opportunities it presents. The Prime Minister’s office will avail itself to have the report implemented across the various government sectors,” she promised
What is 4IR?
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) relates to the combination of virtual, physical, and biological interactions facilitated by technology, the convergence of which breaks down the siloes between these worlds.
Such digital technologies include cloud computing, AI, and Blockchain, physical technologies such as autonomous vehicles and 3D printing, and biological technologies such as bioprinting and neurotechnology.
This convergence of technology creates new opportunities by changing how societies produce, distribute and consume goods and services. However, it also creates a range of risks that need to be monitored and managed.
WHO WERE THE MEMBERS OF THE TASKFORCE?
NAME DESIGNATION TITLE/ORGANIZATION
1 Hon. John Nasasira Chairman, NTF4IR Executive Chairman
Capacity Services Limited
2 Mr Vincent Bagiire Head, NTF4IR Secretariat Permanent Secretary
Ministry of ICT and National Guidance
3 Mr Obong O.O. David Member, NTF4IR Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
4 Prof. Tonny J. Oyana Member, NTF4IR Principal
College of Computing and Information Sciences, Makerere University
5 Prof. Mary J.N. Okwakol Member, NTF4IR Chairperson
National Council for Higher Education
6 Dr John Okuonzi Member, NTF4IR Director ICT and Services
Kyambogo University
7 Dr. Twinemanzi Tumubweine Member, NTF4IR Executive Director-Supervision
Bank of Uganda
8 Mr Martin Gordon Mubangizi Member, NTF4IR Acting Head of Office and Officer- Data Science
United Nations Pulse Lab Kampala
9 Dr Fredrick Kitoogo Member, NTF4IR Principal
Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology
10 Ms Rashmi Pillai Member, NTF4IR Executive Director / CEO
Financial Sector Deepening Uganda
11 Mr Kwame Rugunda Member, NTF4IR Chairman
Blockchain Association of Uganda
12 Eng. Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo Member, NTF4IR Acting Executive Director
Uganda Communications Commission
13 Ms Vivian Ddambya Member, NTF4IR Director Technical Services
National Information Technology Authority Uganda
14 Ms Jackie Ochola Member, NTF4IR Country Manager
C-squared Limited
15 Mr Noah Baalessanvu Member, NTF4IR Chairman/ National Information Security Advisory Group (NISAG)
16 Mr Robert Kirunda Member, NTF4IR Partner
Kirunda & Wasige Advocates
17 Dr Doreen Agaba Member, NTF4IR Director
Space Technology Agency, Uganda
18 Mr Michael Niyitegeka Member, NTF4IR Director Tech Academy
Clarke International University
19 Ms Angela Ssemwogerere Member, NTF4IR Director
Coding in Heels
20 Mr Abaas Mpindi Member, NTF4IR Chairman
Media Challenge Initiative
21 Mrs Grace K. Baguma Member, NTF4IR Director
National Curriculum Development Centre
22 Mr Patrick Emmanuel Muinda Member, NTF4IR Assistant Commissioner, Communication and Information Management
Ministry of Education & Sports
23 Dr Hatwib Mugasa Member, NTF4IR Executive Director
National Information Technology Authority of Uganda
24 Mr Giles Muhame Member, NTF4IR Managing Editor/President
Online Media Publishers Association, Chimp Reports
25 Mr. Arinaitwe Rugyendo Member, NTF4IR Director & Co-founder,
The Red Pepper and e2 Young Engineers Uganda
26 Mr Paul Busharizi Member, NTF4IR Public Editor, The New Vision
27 Mr Julius Torach Coordinator, NTF4IR Secretariat Commissioner IT-E-Services
Ministry of ICT and National Guidance
28 Ms Gloria Katuuku Member, NTF4IR Secretariat Principal ICT O_cer Research and Development
Ministry of ICT and National Guidance
29 Ms Irene Karungi Sekitoleko Member, NTF4IR Secretariat Senior ICT Infrastructure Engineer
Ministry of ICT and National Guidance
