By Guest Writer
l MTN Foundation Uganda, in partnership with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance and Centenary Technology Services, yesterday handed over the second MTN ACE Spark Innovation Hub at Busitema University in eastern Uganda, as part of efforts to expand digital innovation and entrepreneurship across the country.
l The initiative forms part of a UGX 4 billion investment spread over three years, which will support the establishment of four regional digital innovation centres at public universities and the refurbishment of the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, Kampala.
l The development comes as Uganda’s youth, who make up over 75% of the population, increasingly seek access to digital tools and entrepreneurial skills to compete in a rapidly evolving economy.
l Through its ACE Tech, ACE Career and ACE Skilling tracks, MTN Foundation Uganda, in partnership with the Ministry of ICT, Centenary Technology Services and the MTN Skills Academy implementing partner, Anischolar, are availing future-fit digital skilling and mentorship to youth, graduates and aspiring entrepreneurs.
MTN Foundation Uganda, in partnership with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance and Centenary Technology Services, handed over the second MTN ACE Spark Innovation Hub at Busitema University in eastern Uganda, as part of efforts to expand digital innovation and entrepreneurship across the country.
The initiative forms part of a UGX 4 billion investment spread over three years, which will support the establishment of four regional digital innovation centres at public universities and the refurbishment of the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa, Kampala.
The Busitema hub follows the successful rollout of the first facility at Kabale University, which is fully equipped with modern digital infrastructure and essential fittings to ensure safety and functionality. It will provide students and surrounding communities with access to future-fit digital skills such as Data Science & Analytics, Software Development & Coding, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing among others through the MTN Skills Academy with the support of Anischolar, collaborative workspaces and mentorship opportunities. Additional hubs are planned at Gulu and Soroti universities.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Francis Gimara, a Trustee of the MTN Foundation Uganda said the hubs are expected to serve as centres for experimentation, collaboration and innovation for students and nearby communities.
“We at MTN Foundation Uganda believe that everyone should not only enjoy the benefits of a modern, connected life but also be empowered to drive innovation and entrepreneurship that transforms the communities in which we operate,” he said.
“By providing tools, mentorship, and opportunities, we are giving young people the platform to create practical solutions, start businesses, and contribute to the economic growth of Uganda.”
He added that more than 20,000 students and community members will gain access to future-fit digital skilling and mentorship to develop solutions to local challenges.
The development comes as Uganda’s youth, who make up over 75% of the population, increasingly seek access to digital tools and entrepreneurial skills to compete in a rapidly evolving economy.
The guest of honour, Dr. Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance said: “Investing in Uganda’s youth is investing in the country’s future. These hubs equip young people with the skills and support needed to innovate, create jobs, and contribute meaningfully to the digital economy.”
Prof. Paul Waako, Vice Chancellor of Busitema University, said the Spark Hub bridges classroom learning with practical application, preparing students to become problem-solvers, entrepreneurs, and innovators.
Peter Kahiigi, Chief Technology Officer of Centenary Technology Services, the programme’s implementing partner, said the Busitema facility had been in use for seven months before the ceremony.
“What we handed over today is not a new lab. It is a working one. We built this hub to the standard we would build for ourselves: high-specification equipment, a properly engineered network, a secure and air-conditioned space designed for people to work together, not just sit in rows. The equipment arrived in February and students have been on it since. That is the test of a project like this: not the ribbon, but whether the room is full on an ordinary weekday,” he said.
“Our job was to create an environment where a learner or a young entrepreneur from this community can do serious work with the same tools they would find in Kampala. Nakawa, then Kabale, now Busitema, next Gulu. Four regions, one standard, on campuses and inside the working day. The environment is our part. What the students and the community build in it is the point.”
Over the past three years, the MTN ACE Programme has invested more than UGX 4 billion in digital capability development among the population, especially the youth.
The renewed funding will support both the regional hubs and the Nakawa ICT Innovation Hub, which has produced innovations such as KaCyber, an online public transport ticketing system and RideLink, an AI-powered logistics platform facilitating import and export solutions.
Strategically distributed across the country to serve all regions, the hubs at Busitema and Soroti universities (East), Gulu University (North), Kabale University (West) and Nakawa (Central) will provide secure, fully equipped environments for learning, collaboration and innovation.
Through its ACE Tech, ACE Career, and ACE Skilling tracks, MTN Foundation Uganda, in partnership with the Ministry of ICT, Centenary Technology Services and the MTN Skills Academy implementing partner, Anischolar, are availing targeted future-fit digital skilling and mentorship to youth, graduates and aspiring entrepreneurs, helping them harness technology to create businesses and solutions that drive economic growth.
“Today’s handover marks the beginning of new ideas, enterprises and opportunities,” Gimara added. “By investing in Uganda’s youth and digital innovation, we are shaping a resilient, competitive and inclusive economy.” The MTN Skills Academy can be accessed through https://skillsacademy.mtn.com.
ABOUT MTN UGANDA FOUNDATION: The MTN Uganda Foundation is a not-for-profit legal entity that was inaugurated in July 2007 as a vehicle through which MTN Uganda implements its corporate social investments (CSI). The Foundation strives to improve the quality of life in communities where MTN Uganda operates in a sustainable way. Its purpose is to bring about meaningful, measurable, and sustainable change that helps disadvantaged and rural communities to become self-sufficient. With a focus on innovative technology, we aim to uplift communities towards independence in this bold new digital world. The Foundation invests resources for social redress, thus economic empowerment, education, health, and humanitarian response. The Foundation implements projects that are highly enabled by ICT solutions.
ABOUT MTN UGANDA: MTN Uganda is a leading telecoms company in Uganda with a primary objective of carrying on the business of a national operator of a telecommunications network pursuant to the National Telecommunications Operator (NTO) license granted by the Uganda Telecommunications Commission (UCC). Among our offerings are network services, digital and financial technology services, interconnect and roaming, sale of mobile devices, and MTN Mobile Money (conducted through subsidiary MTN Mobile Money Uganda Limited). MTN has a presence in all 134 districts of Uganda. Services are delivered through a network of over 241,000 MoMo agents, 114,800 MoMo merchants, 200 service stores and 13 main distributors. For the period ended December 31, 2025, MTN Uganda had 24.2 million subscribers, 14.7 million MoMo users, and 12 million active data users. Visit us at www.mtn.co.ug or follow us on www.youtube.com/mtnug and www.twitter.com/mtnug for assistance.
ABOUT CENTENARY TECHNOLOGY SERVICES: Centenary Technology Services (Cente-Tech) is the information and communications technology subsidiary of Centenary Group. It designs, builds and operates digital platforms and infrastructure for the Group and for external clients, and is the implementing partner for the MTN ACE Programme, responsible for the design, procurement, construction, networking and commissioning of the regional Spark Hubs.
ABOUT THE MTN GROUP: Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator with a clear vision to lead the delivery of a bold new digital world to our 240 million customers in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East. We are inspired by our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern, connected life. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code “MTN.” We are pursuing our Ambition 2021 strategy, focusing on growth in data, fintech, and digital businesses.
