Research
Prof. Banadda Inaugurated as one of 10 O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs-Attracts USD250k & EUR100k Annually
Published
5 years agoon

Makerere University’s Professor Noble Banadda was on 27th October 2020 inaugurated as one of the 10 Oliver Reginald Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI) recipients. The inauguration ceremony was held via zoom from South Africa. In Uganda and Makerere University, the ceremony was witnessed by media at the African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD) Project Office.
For the next five years, Prof. Banadda will receive US$250,000 annually and an additional offer of €100,000 from Wageningen University for the next 15 years. The grants will be utilized in supervising research in agricultural waste management on farms with a target of training 15 PhD, 9 Postdoctoral and 27 Masters students.
The ORTARChI chair and grant feeds into the Makerere’s Vision as enshrined in its new Strategic plan (2020-2030) that is to become a research-led university. This is the first fully funded Research Chair in Makerere University.
Under this grant, Makerere University will work with South Africa’s Stellenbosch University and Wageningen University of the Netherlands to expose students to different study and research environments and also feed into university’s internationalization agenda.
The Virtual O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative launch was facilitated by Media Personality-Joy Doreen Biira while the welcome address was delivered by Dr. Molapo Qhobela-CEO, National Research Foundation (NRF), South Africa. Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe was acknowledged by the facilitator as the only Vice Chancellor who virtually attended the Media Launch.
O.R. Tambo’s legacy was presented by Ms. Zengeziwe Msimang-CEO, Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation and the ministerial address by Hon. Dr. Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation (South Africa).
Ministerial Panel Discussions were represented by Hon. Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (Ghana), Hon. Eng. Dr. Brian Mushimba, Minister of Higher Education (Zambia), Hon. Prof. Joyce Ndalichako, Minister of Education, Science and Technology (Tanzania) represented by her Permanent Secretary Dr. Leonard D Akwilapo.
Ministerial Messages of Support were delivered by Hon. Dr. Douglas Letsholathebe, Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology (Botswana), Hon. Gabriel Ismail Salimo, Minister of Science and Technology, Higher and Technical Vocational Education (Mozambique) represented by his Permanent Secretary Dr. Nilsa Miquidade, and Hon. Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (Uganda).
The Oliver Reginald Tambo Africa Research Chair was advertised two years ago in search of high calibre scientists who will be able to supervise doctoral and post-doctoral research on the African continent, but specifically to solve African problems.
For any candidate to apply for ORTACHI chair, the initiative set standards that attracted 1,500 applicants. The researcher had to be anchored in a research institution at the rank of a Professor with a minimum of 200 publications. Additionally, the applicant must have supervised at least seven(7) PhD students and had a citation index of not less than 18.
Only 10 candidates (including Prof. Banadda) out of the 1,500 applicants qualified to receive the Research Chairs. Prof. Banadda is ranked 69th worldwide in the area of waste management while in Africa, he holds the 4th position.The other parameters considered were the applicants’ alma mater, international exposure and the network of people the candidate has worked with.
Prof. Banadda’s candidature was supported by South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF), the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) and Wageningen University.
“ I am grateful to God that I have been selected among the 10 recipients of the O.R. Tambo Research Chairs. I am grateful to Makerere University for having given me an opportunity to excel; Secondly, I am grateful to the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology for their letter of support; and to Wageningen University in the Netherlands for their counter offer conditioned upon my winning the Chair. Wageningen University offered me €100,000 per year for the next 15 years and also gave me an offer to be an extraordinary professor in their university. All these offers enhanced my chances of winning.
The Oliver Tambo research chair is a prestigious chair that provides US$250,000 per year for the first five years, and based on satisfactory performance, it’s renewable twice. So it can run for fifteen years.
I look forward to the challenge. I look forward to doing very good research with God as my provider. I guarantee you I will invite you for an innovation from this grant. I look forward to the next five, fifteen years as a top class researcher at Makerere University. I look forward to improving my citation index and being more relevant to the community”. Prof. Banadda pledged.
The ORTARChI award to Prof. Banadda will focus on sustainable agriculture under the thematic area of food security.
“I am going to create models or systems of recycling our waste into agriculture, i.e. to see how we can avoid the use of artificial fertilizers by making use of organic fertilizers such that I increase agricultural productivity, technology, and efficiency.
I want to use the engineering point of view to explore how best to extract nutrients from agricultural waste and plug them back into the soil to make sure that crops grow faster and better without wasting them so as to complete the cycle instead accumulating waste”, Prof. Banadda explained.
He explained that ORTARChI is an African project aimed at building capacity in Africa and therefore students must be African. As such, the University will advertise internationally so as to attract African students who will solve problems and create solutions for farmers in Africa while based at Makerere.
About Oliver Reginald Tambo and OR Tambo Research Chairs Initiative
Oliver Tambo never wavered from his vision for a free, just South Africa. His principled and values-based leadership style was the glue that held the African National Congress, which he led for almost thirty years, together in exile. Sadly, he did not live to see the dawn of the democratic dispensation that he dedicated his life to fighting for, passing away a mere year shy of the 1994 national elections.
The Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation is a public benefit organisation established to promote, protect and preserve the legacy of veteran freedom fighters and doyens of democracy, Oliver and Adelaide Tambo. The Foundation achieves this by undertaking education-focused, community-upliftment initiatives that seek to instil the values for which the Tambos stood into a new generation. It is believed that these values, such as integrity, selflessness, and collective, servant leadership, are critical in consolidating democracy. By equipping young leaders with the tools to reinforce the gains made by Oliver Tambo, South Africa’s democratic dispensation will be protected and nurtured for years to come.
The Foundation has partnered with South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to develop the O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI). The initiative was first announced in 2017 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Oliver Reginald Tambo. Now, the initiative stands ready to launch the inaugural 10 O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs as selected by ORTARChI.
The O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs combine political, development and higher education objectives. They aim to honour a leading figure in the development of African unity; have a catalytic impact on the development of research infrastructure in recipient countries; and contribute to knowledge production and high end skills in alignment with the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024). Through international and regional strategic partnerships, the Chairs will contribute to the development of long term mutually beneficial research collaborations on the continent.
About Noble Ephraim Banadda
Noble Banadda (born in 1975) is a Ugandan biosystems engineer, researcher and academic, who is a Professor of Biosystems Engineering at Makerere University’s Department of Agricultural and Bio systems engineering, School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio engineering. He was appointed as a full professor in 2012 at age 37, the youngest person in the history of the university to attain full professorship.
After attending local primary and secondary schools, he was admitted to Sokoine University of Agriculture, in Morogoro, Tanzania, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Technology. His Master of Science degree in Process Engineering, together with his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemical Engineering, were both obtained from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, in Leuven, Belgium. Later he studied in a post-doctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the United States.
He was the first sub-Saharan African person to graduate with a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Katholieke Universiteit-Leuven in Belgium. Banadda is a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Banadda has had a trailblazing scientific career. He was former head of the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Noble is the first African recipient of the Pius XI Golden Medal (2018) awarded by Pope Francis in the Vatican;a Laureate of the Next Einstein Fellowship and now, the Oliver Reginald Tambo Research Chair; honored young scientist at the World Economic Forum; Alumni of the Global Young Academy (2013 -2018); Member of the Malabo Panel of Experts; Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences; Council member of the Pan African Society for. Agricultural Engineering; Member of the Makerere University Senate; Adjunct Professor at Iowa State University (USA); Research Fellow at Clare Hall at University of Cambridge (UK); College member of the UKRI GCRF programme and a candidate for Extra-ordinary Professor at Wageningen University (Netherlands).
His research focus areas are in the biosystems engineering field and include mathematic modeling of biological systems and interactions. His goal is to create value-added products from solid biowaste resources.
Noble is favorably cited with thus far published research findings in over 195 peer-reviewed journal scientific publications. He has also (co)-supervised 10 PhD students to Completion and 27 M.Sc. students as of 2020.
His notable research innovations include the invention of the MV Multipurpose tractor; Conversion of hard plastics into diesel; the solar powered irrigation pump; Organic pesticides from agricultural waste and the most recent thermal imaging for detection of COVID-19 as well as the three-Dimensional (3D) printing of biodegradable face shields and components for the BulamuVentilator aimed at boosting the contribution of local content to the fight against the COVID 19.
Report compiled by: Jane Anyango, Principal Communication Officer, CAES
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Business & Management
From risk to resilience: Increasing insurance uptake among farmers in rural Uganda
Published
6 days agoon
May 30, 2025By
Mak Editor
By Dr. Aisha Nanyiti
Poor households in low-income countries face numerous risks, from extreme weather events to illness and crop failure. With limited savings and assets, even small shocks can have devastating consequences on welfare. While formal insurance products can potentially help mitigate these risks, their uptake remains remarkably low among rural smallholder farmers, who instead primarily rely on informal risk-sharing networks. This pattern persists despite evidence suggesting that informal insurance mechanisms provide incomplete coverage against shocks. These shocks translate into shortfalls in income and consumption (Karlan et al. 2014, Morduch 1999).
Studying the impact of insurance on farmers’ economic behaviour
In Nanyiti and Pamuk (2025), we focus on smallholder farmers in rural Uganda and examine how different insurance arrangements affect their economic behaviour and decision-making. Uganda provides an ideal setting to explore these questions, as only 1% of adults have formal insurance coverage, despite 67% of households depending on agriculture for their livelihoods. By comparing behaviour under formal insurance (provided by registered companies) versus informal insurance (peer-to-peer transfers), we gain insights into why formal insurance uptake remains low and how farmers respond to different risk management options.
Using a real effort task experiment, we investigate whether the incentives created by these different insurance arrangements influence productivity and risk management decisions. Our findings reveal important behavioural responses that help explain observed patterns in insurance uptake and suggest potential approaches for improving the design and adoption of formal insurance products. We find that farmers exerted less effort under informal insurance but not under formal insurance coverage, and increased their level of formal insurance coverage after experiencing a bad outcome.
Dr. Aisha Nanyiti is a Lecturer at the School of Economics, College of Business and Management Sciences, Makerere University
General
Directorate of Graduate Equips Schools and Colleges with Training in Philosophy of Methods
Published
2 weeks agoon
May 22, 2025By
Mak Editor
By Moses Lutaaya
The Directorate of Graduate Training at Makerere University has equipped several Senior ranking lecturers with expert knowledge in a Training of Trainers’ workshop on “Philosophy of Methods”.
In his remarks at the opening of a 3-day training workshop at Level4 Conference Hall – Senate Building, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “The teaching of Philosophy of Methods gives all participants the fundamentals to extend knowledge to other learners, hence its importance in upholding the Makerere University values.”
Kikooma urged and challenged the participants to also attend and actively participate in the follow up of learners’ training of students, stating that the PhD students need support as the directorate continues to coordinate the curriculum of PhD by-research that was approved by the senate recently.
“To holistically implement the senate approved PhD curriculum, we are coordinating capacity building trainings of all stake holders in a structured approach with the different units of the University. Many more trainings including Training of Trainers in advanced research methods course are on the way.”
He further urged the participants to be intentional in their teaching profession and in whatever they were doing, adding “Apart from focusing on practices as teachers and researchers, we can engage in wider philosophical debates in our research areas so that we are relevant in the society and in the empowerment of PhD research students.”
The participants for the Philosophy of Methods training were from College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Education and External Studies, Makerere University Business School among others.
During the same training, Dr. Dickson Kanakulya stressed the need to train senior lecturers in the Philosophy of Methods, saying, “The biggest connection is that societal problems require concrete research to find solutions. Our challenge in Africa is that we employ a short barrow approach to find solutions to problems. This cannot work. We need consistent researchers to solve problems. Lasting solutions to societal issues can only be got through training such as Philosophy of Methods, where researchers come up with new models for societal solutions.”

Dr. Kanakulya said that Makerere University remains the biggest research University in Africa and philosophy of Methods helps to come up with good research tools that produce good research outputs. “Research has shown that the higher the number of PhD researchers in any given country, the higher the levels of development of that country e.g. the USA, China etc., adding that research is not limited to only medicinal or agricultural related issues.”
He said philosophy of methods, encourages philosophical creativity in research, “It is meant to bring out philosophical generation of concepts, theories and ideas. It is meant to encourage students to question the existing philosophical assumptions and status quo in a given field of knowledge such that new philosophical concepts are created.”
For successful rollout of government programs like the National Development Plan 4, Dr. Kanakulya said that Philosophy of Methods training needs to be integrated into such systems. “Philosophy of Methods focuses on ethical thinking aspects. For example, for a better rollout of the Parish Development Model, we need implementers to be ethical.” He added.
Prof. Sulait Tumwiine, the associate Dean of Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at MUBS said, “This is a discussion where new ideas are shared to guide and gauge applicability in the current knowledge diversity coupled with lots of technological development including Artificial Intelligence and Chat GPT.”
He added, “As professors of Universities, we need to understand how we leverage on what comes up so that it does not take our space, but also appreciate how we can support growth of knowledge. The Philosophy of Methods training is the answer.”
Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo highlighted that Philosophy uses more of the critical mind than Science. He added that philosophy is more of speculation of the mind.
“Sustainability of philosophy Education encourages us to continue training. Philosophy being the oldest discipline retained special status in the academia as a pinnacle of pursuit of knowledge. All disciplines have major elements of philosophy citing examples in the philosophy of Mathematics and Physics.
Dr. Spire added, “If you do not understand philosophy, you cannot deeply investigate anything because philosophy is the reality of understanding everything. Philosophy is the basis of understanding what knowledge is and how it is arrived at.”
Also participating in the workshop was Prof. Joseph Ntaayi from MUBS, in his remarks he said PhD students need the philosophy of methods training to understand how to best to create knowledge. He added that ontological and epistemological questions that lead to good research design methods can only be answered by this training.
Dr. Robert Kakuru, a Lecturer in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences said that the Philosophy of Methods training is needed by every graduate student as well as supervisors to critically determine the choice of methods to use in academic research. For example, “If one wants to use a questionnaire as an interview approach, one should understand, why that approach and yet without this training, the why cannot be answered.” He added.
The Philosophy of Methods training was organized by Directorate of Graduate Training with funding support from the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA).
Research
Uganda’s National ID Delivers $1.35 for Every $1 Invested
Published
2 weeks agoon
May 19, 2025
KAMPALA – The National Digital ID (NID) has significantly transformed Stella Nakazibwe’s role as a SACCO Administrator. “In my day-to-day work, I use my National ID to carry out financial transactions in the bank. Without it, I can’t access funds,” she says, her voice filled with a quiet confidence. “Now, I also use it to register for my school. You can’t sit for ICPAU papers without registering, and a National ID is essential.”
Nakazibwe’s story represents the promise of Uganda’s ambitious National ID system, launched in 2014 with the aim of streamlining government services, enhancing security, and boosting financial inclusion, with 97 percent believing it is essential.
A sound national ID system should meet key principles of inclusion, design, and governance, according to the World Bank. However, a 2017 study by the US government’s Center for Digital Development, formerly USAID, found that many digital ID systems are fragmented and focused on short-term goals, lacking clear evidence of their long-term social and economic benefits.
Ugandan law requires all citizens aged 16 and above to obtain a National ID linked to their demographic and biometric data. To support this, the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) launched a mass registration campaign nationwide, followed by smaller drives to capture more people. The requirement for SIM card registration further boosted this effort, making telecom companies major users of the National ID database.
But a new study, “Understanding the Benefits, Costs, and Challenges of the National Identification System in Uganda,” published in Digital Society, reveals a more nuanced picture, stressing both the successes and the persistent challenges in ensuring that the National ID truly benefits all Ugandans.
The research, led by Roy William Mayega from Makerere University School of Public Health’s Resilient Africa Network (MakSPH-RAN), surveyed nearly 3,000 Ugandans and analyzed government data to assess the system’s impact. Other researchers were Dr. Dorothy Okello, Christine Muhumuza, Nathan Tumuhamye, Julius Ssentongo, Dr. Allen Kabagenyi Mulerwa, Brandon Kwesiga, Dr. Agnes Nyabigambo, Anthony Ssebagereka, and Professor William Bazeyo.

The findings confirm that the National ID has been a worthwhile investment for the government. The study estimates that for every US$1 invested in the NID system, the return on investment is US$1.35. These savings stem from reduced fraud in social programs and more efficient management of public funds.
But beyond the numbers, the research also illuminates the human experiences behind the National ID. For many, like Nakazibwe, the ID has unlocked opportunities previously out of reach. It has become a key to accessing mobile money services, opening bank accounts, and participating more fully in the formal economy.
However, the research also shows that not everyone is benefiting equally. The study found that while 94% of Ugandans sought to register for an NID, nearly one in five still don’t have one. And those who are most likely to be left behind are often the most vulnerable.
“We found that reasons for not having a National ID were more prevalent in the lowest wealth quintile,” explains Mayega. “This suggests that the poorest Ugandans face greater hurdles in accessing the system, whether it’s due to challenges in navigating the registration process or the cost of transportation. Illiteracy was also a key contributor.”
The most common reasons for not having a National ID included incomplete registration (33.7%), not registering (21.2%), lost IDs (19.9%), failure to collect IDs (9.4%), and slow processing (7.7%). Women were more likely to mention long queues and registration costs, while men cited ID loss and non-citizenship. Urban residents more often pointed to lost IDs and slow processes, while rural participants highlighted limited registration time.

The study also uncovered concerns about data privacy and the potential for misuse of personal information. Many Ugandans express concerns about the potential use of their National IDs for surveillance or fraudulent activities. These anxieties point to the need for greater transparency and robust data protection measures.
From the study, the common National ID errors included misspelled names (45.0%), incorrect or missing dates of birth (16.6%), unclear fingerprints (8.9%), and improper signatures (3.6%). Of the 169 participants with errors, only 28.5% attempted corrections, and just a third succeeded, often after waiting an average of six months. Most (77.1%) described the correction process as difficult, with transport costs from 0 to 400,000 shillings and other related expenses around 525,000 shillings (US\$ 145.8).
To ensure that the National ID lives up to its full potential, the researchers recommend a series of concrete steps: launching targeted registration drives to reach those who have been left behind, simplifying the registration process, strengthening data protection measures, and expanding the use of National IDs in government programs.
“It’s crucial that the government addresses these concerns and builds trust in the system,” says the Executive Director of the Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC), Gilbert Sendugwa.
In Uganda, a National ID is more than just identification—it’s a key to accessing rights and services, Sendugwa explains.
“However, the issue of data security persists. For example, a woman in Ntungamo District faced legal trouble after her stolen ID was misused to secure a Parish Development Model loan before tighter controls were in place. The government must do more to teach people to protect their IDs and reassure them that their data is used to empower, not control, them,” he says.

Of the participants with National IDs, 7.7% (186 people) reported they had lost them, with higher rates among women (9.1%), urban residents (9.7%), and those in the lowest wealth quintile (9.3%). However, only 28.5% of those who lost their IDs attempted to replace (8.6%) or recover (19.9%) them, with mixed success. While 75% of those seeking replacements succeeded, only 45.4% of those trying to recover lost IDs managed to do so. About half of those attempting replacements described the process as difficult, with some waiting over three months.
Millions of Ugandans risk being excluded from essential services without national digital IDs, according to the Collaboration on International ICT for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA). Vulnerable groups like older persons in poverty and those with disabilities, who often struggle to reach NIRA offices for enrollment, face the greatest challenges. Without IDs, they are unable to access senior citizens’ grants, healthcare, land titles, social security benefits, driving permits, SIM card registration, bank accounts, passports, and voter registration.
“Uganda’s digital ID system needs to ensure the necessary safeguards for both data protection and access to essential services; otherwise, it risks not only entrenching exclusion and inequality but also increasing concerns about personal data privacy and protections. Gaps in solid data protection can result in discrimination, profiling, surveillance of data subjects, and identity theft,” says Juliet Nanfuka, a digital rights advocate and communications officer at CIPESA.

Uganda’s experience with the National ID system provides helpful lessons for other African countries aiming to leverage the power of digital identification. As NIRA prepares for a nationwide mass ID renewal and registration campaign on May 27, 2025, the redesigned IDs are expected to feature enhanced security technologies like Multiple Laser Images (MLI), Machine-Readable Zones (MRZ), QR codes, and 2D barcodes. These upgrades are intended to improve identity verification and expand access to digital services.
Researchers argue that by addressing citizen concerns, ensuring equitable access, and genuinely listening to the voices of its people, Uganda can transform the National ID from a mere card into a critical lifeline for all.
Davidson Ndyabahika is a Health and Science Communication Specialist, School of Public Health, Makerere University
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