MTN Uganda celebrates graduation of 253 youths from Digital Literacy Program in Eastern Uganda

MTN Uganda, through its Corporate Social Responsibility arm, MTN Foundation, has successfully graduated 253 young individuals from its Digital Literacy Program in Eastern Uganda, marking a significant milestone in its ongoing efforts to equip youth with essential digital skills.

The graduation ceremony held at MTAC Mbale Campus highlights MTN’s commitment to fostering digital inclusion and providing economic opportunities for young Ugandans. Notably, 54% of the graduates were women, reflecting MTN’s focus on promoting gender equity in technology and empowering women to participate fully in the digital economy.

The two-week intensive training held at MTAC Mbale Campus and Mahanga Senior Secondary School in Nagongera Sub County in Tororo District, delivered in collaboration with the Maendeleo Foundation, provided participants with foundational ICT skills, empowering them to explore opportunities in education, entrepreneurship, and employment.

This event follows similar graduations in western Uganda, where 378 youth, including 217 women, completed the program in September, and in northern Uganda, where over 100 individuals graduated last month.

Since its inception in 2022, MTN’s Digital Literacy Program worth Shs500million has reached out to 4,224 Ugandans, including 2,009 women and 2,215 men, across three phases. The program is set to continue its expansion with the goal of empowering one million young people by 2025 through the MTN Skills Academy.

Allan Njagala, MTN Uganda’s Head of Commercial Eastern Region, speaking at the graduation ceremony, underscored MTN’s ongoing commitment to ensuring inclusivity and diversity in the digital space.

“At MTN, we firmly believe that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to the benefits of a modern, connected life,” Njagala said. “This initiative is more than just about teaching digital skills. It is about empowering individuals, embracing diversity, and ensuring a future where all Ugandans can thrive in the digital economy.”

The Digital Literacy Program aligns with MTN Uganda’s Ambition 2025 Strategy, focusing on driving nationwide digital and financial inclusion. This initiative also supports Uganda’s Vision 2040, National Development Plan III, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, contributing to a more equitable and inclusive digital economy.

In support of its mission, MTN Uganda has established 57 ICT labs across educational institutions nationwide, including technical institutes such as St. Simon Peter’s Vocational Training Centre in Hoima and Amelo Technical Institute in Adjumani. These labs are designed to provide thousands of students with access to state-of-the-art digital resources and learning opportunities.

The graduation ceremony also featured a quiz for the graduates, with top performers receiving laptops and internet access to further enhance their digital learning experience. The initiative aims to foster lifelong learning and promote knowledge-sharing within local communities.

The Inspector of Schools for Mbale City, Wangwe Moses applauded MTN Uganda for the digital literacy program saying it aligns perfectly with the country’s National Digital Transformation Roadmap, Vision 2040, and the National Development Plan III.

“To the graduates, this graduation marks the beginning of your journey. The skills you have gained are tools to shape your future and uplift your communities,” he said.

“I encourage you to continue learning and exploring. Technology evolves rapidly, and with it, so do opportunities. Embrace this dynamic world with curiosity and determination. Seek to innovate, collaborate, and contribute solutions that address the challenges faced by your communities.”

MTN Uganda also invites young individuals to sign into the MTN Skills Academy platform MTN Skills Academy | Home, which provides free access to digital training and resources.                                         

 

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.

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) licence 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 170,000 MoMo agents, 292,000 MoMo merchants, 200 service stores and 13 main distributors. For the full year period ended December 31, 2023, MTN Uganda had 19.5 million subscribers, 12.1 million MoMo users, and 8.2 million active data users.

 

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.