By Mulengera Reporters
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has launched the 9th edition of the National Conference on Communications (NCC), scheduled to take place from 2nd to 3rd October 2025.
The announcement was made on Friday at the UCC headquarters in Bugolobi, where the Commission unveiled the key objectives and strategic direction of the conference.
This year’s conference, to be held under the theme “Harnessing Digital Innovation to Power Sustainable Local Solutions for Uganda’s Development Goals”, will be hosted in partnership with ISBAT University and Gulu University, and will convene a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, innovators, students, and industry leaders, to examine the role of digital transformation in driving Uganda’s national development.
The NCC, which has been held annually since 2011, is UCC’s flagship research and innovation platform in the communications sector, serving as a strategic forum for engaging academia, government institutions, the private sector, and students in critical discussions on the future of Uganda’s digital ecosystem.
The Executive Director of UCC, Hon. Nyombi Thembo, said in his speech that the Commission considers the NCC a key pillar in advancing research and development in the country’s ICT sector, adding the platform is designed to support innovation, foster multi-sectoral collaboration, and contribute to sustainable national growth.
He underscored UCC’s long-standing belief in the power of communication research to unlock practical, locally developed solutions that address both current and future development challenges.
One of the long-serving members of the NCC technical committee and a representative from Gulu University also shared insights on the academic dimension of the conference, saying that the university’s involvement is aimed at stimulating innovation among young people, especially students, who are expected to submit papers and project ideas for peer review.
He added that the intention is to create a pipeline through which universities can demonstrate the relevance of their ICT-related research to Uganda’s broader social and economic development efforts.
This year’s edition will include participation from over 200 secondary school ICT clubs, up from 120 in 2023, and the clubs will take part in national innovation competitions, showcasing how youth-led digital solutions can respond to real community needs.
Other activities lined up include hackathons, masterclasses, and the formation of academic paper-writing clubs in various institutions to improve ICT research output.
UCC indicated that this edition of the NCC will retain its hallmark structure, including technical paper presentations, student competitions, and policy-focused sessions. In addition, the conference is expected to feed into an ongoing UCC-led review aimed at aligning NCC outcomes more closely with Uganda’s ICT innovation priorities, policy frameworks, and national development strategies (including the National Development Plan IV and Vision 2040).
The Commission encouraged all stakeholders (academia, development partners, private sector actors, policymakers, and the media) to actively participate in the upcoming conference, stating that a collective approach is necessary to ensure that digital innovation remains central to Uganda’s sustainable development journey. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
