General
Mak Students Benefit from NBL-Equality Scholarships Programme
Nile Breweries Limited (NBL) has extended financial support worth UGX 80 Million to 30 University students under its Equality Scholarship Programme. Received by the Principal Education Officer from Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) Mrs. Mercy Mugoowa and Makerere University Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration (DVCFA) Assoc. Prof. Josephine Nabukenya on behalf of students, the money will be allocated towards students’ tuition and welfare expenses for the academic year 2021/ 2022.
The Equality Scholarship is an annual programme initiated in 2011 by Nile Breweries Limited as one of its Corporate Social Responsibility activities. The programme is geared towards supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4; Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The Programme supports academically excellent but financially disadvantaged students who have succeeded in their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) but lost hope of continuing with studies due to financial constraints. With a total of 72 beneficiaries supported from Senior one (S1), Nile Breweries supports 30 students that are currently at University and 42 students that are still in secondary school.
According to the Country Director Mr. David Valencia, the Equality Scholarship Programme doesn’t only fulfil the company’s commitment towards society improvement but also help NBL to recognize the catalytic role of education in promoting human security by fulfilling the academic dreams of a Ugandan child.
The Equality Scholarship Programme targets rural primary schools in the districts that grow sorghum and Barley for Nile Breweries Limited. These include; Budaka, Bukedea, Buikwe Bundibugyo Dokolo, Hoima, Isingiro, Kabarole, Kamuli, Kanungu, Katakwi, Kiryandongo, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kween, Lira, Mubende, Nebbi, Ngora, Ntungamo, Oyam, Soroti and Zombo.
“Students are supported from senior one until they finish university, with the current enrollment costing the company 300M per year. Approximately UGX 3bn has been invested in students from senior one till completion of their undergraduate studies,” Mr. Valencia noted.
Of the 30 university beneficiaries, 14 are Makerere University students placed at the respective colleges. Speaking at the colorful ceremony on 29th April 2021 at NBL Company Offices in Luzira, the DVCFA Assoc. Prof. Josephine Nabukenya congratulated the pioneer beneficiaries John Ochom, Ivan Subile and Emmanuel Okello upon successfully completing their studies at Makerere University. The students are graduating with Bsc. Biochemistry, Bsc. Industrial Chemistry and Bsc. Sports Sciences respectively.
In the same spirit, she congratulated the beneficiaries from other respective Higher Institutions of Learning that are soon graduating. She urged the beneficiaries to make most use of the scholarship opportunity to study, and participate in community empowerment activities that will transform lives. She also encouraged them to utilize the networking platforms well and find solutions to problems that affect communities.
Assoc. Prof. Nabukenya, applauded Nile Breweries for uplifting individuals and creating positive difference in the lives of students, families and communities through supporting access to education. She also thanked the Government of Uganda for creating a favorable environment that has enabled strong partnerships especially in the education sector.
“As outlined in the Gender Equality Policy, Makerere University is committed to the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment where all students, academic, administrative and support staff, female and male enjoy equal opportunities. We are therefore thankful to be part of this achievement as we support the girl and boy child on equally accessing education,” she noted.
“Furthermore, the University Council during the 147th Meeting held in August 2019, approved the Affirmative Action Policy providing for a 40% enrollment quota for female students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). It is therefore, gratifying to learn that three (3) of the four (4) females in the cohort of continuing students at Makerere University are perusing STEM-based Programmes,” she added.
The Principal Education Officer at Ministry of Education and Sports appealed to students to use the positive attributes that education provides to build solutions to community challenges. “Education is a trigger to individual and national development. It remains the most important force that enables a person to pursue development goals with requisite knowledge and capabilities.”
She called for more support from the private sector towards Uganda’s education development. And, urged the private sector to support students during internships, field attachments as well as initiating vocational skills among the students.
The Corporate Affair Director at Nile Breweries Limited Mr. Onapito Ekomoloit noted that given its role as a major player in Uganda’s economy and community, Nile Breweries Limited’s mandate is to bring people together for a better world.
Makerere University has officially launched its Strategic Plan 2025-2030, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities.
The launch brought together senior government officials, university leadership, and development planners, including the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, and a representative from the National Planning Authority (NPA), alongside the University Vice Chancellor.
A Vision Anchored in National Transformation
Speaking at the launch, the Vice Chancellor underscored the University’s ambition to significantly expand graduate training and strengthen its contribution to national development. He noted that the institution is targeting a return to pre-COVID enrolment levels and a substantial increase in postgraduate numbers by 2030, with a focus on producing highly skilled graduates, innovators, and researchers.
He emphasized that the Strategic Plan positions the University as a key driver of Uganda’s transformation through knowledge generation, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aligned with national priorities.
“The staffing distribution is shown here. Under the approved establishment, we intended to have 419 Professors, but we currently have only 75. We planned for 473 Associate Professors, but currently have only 144. This clearly demonstrates that we still have considerable room for growth in strengthening our academic staff profile,” the VC said.
The VC appreciated researchers and research centres, that continue to attract substantial research funding. He highlighted the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) and the Makerere University Walter Reed Project which attracted approximately US$70 million in international research funding into Uganda.
“When you combine the grants won by all our researchers through competitive international funding, the total exceeds US$200 million,” he said.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the University Council, Dr. Lorna Magara, described the Strategic Plan as more than an institutional roadmap, calling it “a public covenant with the people of Uganda.”
She noted that the Plan marks “the launch of Makerere University’s next chapter,” adding that decisions taken over the next five years will shape not only the future of the institution, but also Uganda’s development trajectory through graduates, research, innovations, and leadership.
Dr. Magara emphasized Makerere’s unique national role as Uganda’s premier public university, entrusted with public resources and public confidence.
“Every investment made in Makerere must produce measurable value for the people of Uganda,” she said, underscoring the need for accountability, integrity, and impact.
Ambitious Targets for Transformation
The Council Chairperson and the Vice chancellor outlined bold performance targets under the Strategic Plan, including doubling postgraduate enrolment, increasing STEM enrolment from 30% to 55%, improving PhD completion rates from 10% to 35%, and more than doubling peer-reviewed research output, alongside a significant rise in patents and innovations.
Dr. Magara stressed that these targets are not aspirations alone but binding commitments against which institutional performance will be measured.
“Ambition is precisely what this moment demands. A strategic plan is not measured by the elegance of its language, but by the lives it transforms,” she said.
Call for Stronger Governance and Legal Reform
Dr. Magara also highlighted the need for reform of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap. 262, noting that the current legal framework has not kept pace with the evolving realities of university governance and innovation.
She called on Government and Parliament to support a timely review of the Act to enable universities to better optimise knowledge systems, productive assets, and innovation capacity in support of national development.
Government Endorsement and Strategic Alignment
Hon. Henry Musasizi commended the University for developing a forward-looking Strategic Plan aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040 and the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which serves as the foundation for the country’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
He explained that Uganda’s ambition to grow its economy from about USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion requires accelerated growth driven by productivity gains, innovation, and strong human capital development.
“Universities are central actors in national transformation. They are engines of knowledge creation, innovation, and human capital development,” he said.
The Minister stressed that government priorities include strengthening research, promoting industrialization, and ensuring that knowledge generated in universities is translated into practical solutions that support economic growth. He further highlighted the importance of accountability, efficiency, and value for money in public investments in higher education.
Universities as Drivers of the Tenfold Growth Strategy
In his presentation, the Senior Planner at the National Planning Authority, Samuel Kasule, emphasized that the Strategic Plan is firmly anchored in Uganda’s comprehensive development framework under Vision 2040 and NDP IV.
He noted that the Tenfold Growth Strategy seeks to accelerate Uganda’s economic growth into double-digit territory, enabling the country to achieve structural transformation and reach upper middle-income status.
Kasule underscored that universities play a critical role in this transformation through labour productivity, research, and innovation. He pointed out that priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism, minerals, oil and gas, and ICT depend heavily on skilled graduates and strong research ecosystems.
He also highlighted the importance of competency-based education, alignment of academic programmes with national human resource needs, and strengthening postgraduate training and research outputs.
A Shared Commitment to Transformation
Across all speeches, a strong message emerged: universities are central to Uganda’s development agenda and must evolve into research-intensive institutions that directly contribute to economic transformation.
The Strategic Plan 2025-2030 was widely commended for its focus on innovation, industry collaboration, digital transformation, and the commercialization of research outputs.
Government leaders reaffirmed continued support for higher education institutions through research funding, innovation ecosystems, and strengthened university–industry partnerships.
Conclusion
The launch of the Strategic Plan 2030 signals a renewed commitment to positioning the University as a key partner in Uganda’s development journey. With strong alignment to national priorities, the Plan is expected to accelerate research, innovation, and skills development necessary for achieving Uganda’s long-term economic ambitions. The Strategic Plan may be accessed at: https://mak.ac.ug/about/strategic-plan
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