The Parliament of Uganda is hosting the Standing Committee on ICT and Innovation from the National Assembly of Namibia .
This visit aims to exchange best practices in ICT, focusing on e-learning, licensing, regulation, and public WiFi provision. A significant meeting with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance (MoICT&NG) was held today, showcasing Uganda’s achievements and strategies in these areas.
Dr. Christopher Baryomunsi, the Minister for ICT and National Guidance, officiated the engagement at the National ICT Innovation Hub, located at the Uganda Institute of ICT.
Dr. Baryomunsi welcomed the Namibian delegation, stating, “Members of Parliament and staff from the ICT and Innovation Committee in the Parliament of Namibia are here to benchmark and interact with us, particularly to study and appreciate our advancements in ICT. This exchange is vital as it allows us to learn from each other and bridge the digital divide.”
The Namibian delegation, led by the deputy chairman standing committee of ICT – Namibia Karupu sabastiaan expressed their enthusiasm for the visit.
“We have come here to learn from Uganda’s expertise and achievements in ICT as a young nation. We are only 34 years old while Uganda is 62 years old. We wanted to understand the journey you have traveled in ICT, the challenges you faced, and the achievements you have made,” he noted.
The engagement highlighted Uganda’s progress in various ICT initiatives, such as e-payments, e-procurement, e-learning, and the provision of public WiFi.
Dr. Baryomunsi emphasized the need for African governments to allocate adequate resources for ICT development.
“It is imperative for African governments to integrate ICT into their development frameworks and allocate sufficient domestic resources to achieve digital transformation,” he said.
The Namibian delegation showed particular interest in Uganda’s national backbone infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and the digitalization of government services.
“We are keen to learn more about your e-learning programs, the provision of public WiFi, and how you have managed to integrate ICT into various sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and transport,” said one of the Namibian delegates.
In response to the Namibian delegation’s inquiries, Dr. Baryomunsi elaborated on Uganda’s strategies.
“We have made significant strides in digitalizing our government services. For instance, the payment system is now fully digital, and we are advancing in areas like e-health and e-agriculture. These initiatives are crucial for enhancing service delivery and promoting economic development.”
The meeting concluded with a mutual agreement to strengthen bilateral cooperation in ICT and innovation.
The Namibian delegation expressed their gratitude for the insights gained and looked forward to implementing similar initiatives in their country.
