General
Farmer, not Hunter Mentality Key to National Transformation
Following his delivery of the keynote address at the first-ever Symposium on National Transformation held on 30th March 2023, Makerere University on Monday 3rd April 2023 once again hosted Professor Vincent Anigbogu for an in-depth presentation to Top Management. Held in the Council Room, Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility, the interaction was graced by the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara and later, the Presidential Advisor-Special Duties, Mr. Odrek Rwabwogo.
A holder of a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, Professor Anigbogu taught his specialization for over twenty years at four different universities in the USA before returning to Lagos, Nigeria in 2006 to pursue his passion, “the development of leaders with leadership and management competencies necessary for the transformation of Africa.” As Director General of the Institute of National Transformation (INT), he, together with his wife and partner, Mrs. Peggy Anigbogu has established training centres in Ivory Coast, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, and London, UK.
“Everyone that goes through the Institute of National Transformation in Uganda today is passionate about Uganda; they actually give their lives to build Uganda. Is that the typical attitude?” Professor Anigbogu paused to ask before clarifying “It has to be taught, and we teach it (at INT).”
He emphasized that it is only individuals who are passionate about Uganda that will transform the nation into ‘The Pearl of Africa’s Crown’, as stated by the third stanza of the National Anthem. Further unpacking the anthem, Professor Anigbogu could not help but appreciate how rich and embodying it is of Uganda’s vision.
Professor Anigbogu therefore urged all faculty in the room to make it their responsibility to teach students values such as Godliness, Unity, Hard work, Peace and Friendship as espoused by the National Anthem. “If you are to talk about changing education and you don’t understand national transformation, you will not be useful.”
Turning to Vision 2040 that aspires to create “A transformed Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country within 30 years”, Professor Anigbogu stressed that it is Makerere’s responsibility to provide holistic education that produces graduates who are passionate enough to build the nation. “Who is producing the Presidents? Who is producing the Members of Parliament?” he questioned to illustrate his point.
He further emphasized the need for Makerere to go beyond the first level of knowledge generation to producing graduates that are contextually in tune with both national and global trends. On one hand, they ought to be appraised of their personal responsibility in the national development agenda, while on the other hand, they ought to be equipped to weather storms from global trends.
Citing the Global Trends 2025 report produced by the National Intelligence Council USA, Professor Anigbogu noted that the current rise of China, India and other nations, the shift of wealth and economic power from West to East, and rapid population growth among others were predicted close to twenty years ago. “Of what value is education that’s not given in the context of anticipated challenges and opportunities?” he asked.
To achieve the much-anticipated national transformation, Professor Anigbogu noted that it was important for Makerere to produce graduates with the farmer rather than the hunter mentality. He explained that whereas we are all essentially hunters at birth – selfishly craving attention and loudly demanding that all our needs are instantly met, it was important for institutions such as Makerere to mould us into farmers – who are selfless, patient nurturers that regard every opportunity (seed), not as an answer to their immediate need (food) but as holding great potential for the future (a forest).
He noted that whereas lot of what Makerere is doing is good, the day’s interaction was aimed at reflecting on but how it could be done better, so as to have greater impact. He nevertheless concluded that this could only be achieved with a major shift in the way we conduct business.
Sharing his experience as a farmer that processes and markets his products, Mr. Odrek Rwabwogo outlined four interventions that should be undertaken in order to sail through the post-COVID headwinds. Firstly, he noted that venturing into international markets ought not to done blindly, but rather informed by market research conducted by trade representatives.
Secondly, he underscored the need to comply with market standards, which some countries employ as non-tariff trade barriers. Thirdly was the need for the necessary infrastructure to support both present and future investments as well as bring costs of utilities further down. And fourthly, the need for export credit funding to de-risk entry of Ugandan products into foreign markets.
These four interventions, he said, are hinged on research, and the private sector is keen to connect with Makerere University and tap into the resources and expertise herein to generate it. He reiterated that scientists and scientific findings have a strong advocate in the person of the President and Makerere partnering with the private sector would go a long way in amplifying both parties’ critical role of working with Government to reduce poverty.
Following the presentations and interactive discussions, the Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe thanked Professor Anigbogu for sparing time to share great insights with the Makerere Top Management. He observed that some of the pertinent issues touched on needed further deliberation and expressed the University Management’s readiness to go into a retreat and deepen the conversation.
Furthermore, he observed the need to continue the conversation on the central role of the private sector and academia in national transformation. “In addition to initiatives such as setting up incubation hubs and reviving the Makerere University Private Sector Forum, we shall find a framework through which to continue this discussion until the next annual symposium on national transformation.”
Concluding the day’s discussion, the Chairperson of Council Mrs. Lorna Magara admitted that although Makerere continues to produce a lot of research, there was need for increased engagements with Government and the private sector to increase uptake and utilization of findings.
“We want to invite the private sector to come and see what Makerere is doing in the different colleges… creating that framework that will cause the engagement is already in the offing and once it is fully setup and operationalized we will inform faculty of the opportunities that are available” shared Mrs. Magara.
She prayed that the day’s presentations would stir up the staff to continuously reflect on how their teaching and research roles can propel the economy of Uganda forward and achieve national transformation.
On 20th August 2026, Makerere University welcomed another cohort of 258 recipients of the prestigious Mastercard Foundation scholarship for the 2026/2027 academic year with pomp and fanfare. The colourful Scholarship Award Ceremony was presided over by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, who was represented by Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, the Dean of the School of Economics and the Chairperson of the Scholars Selection sub-committee of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University.
While addressing the gathering, Prof. Nawangwe reminded the Scholars that the scholarship was both an honour and a responsibility, and that they ought to make the most of it to improve their lives and communities.
“Now that you have stepped through the gates of Makerere University, remember that a scholarship is both an award and a responsibility. You have been chosen because we believe in your potential to lead, innovate, and serve. Makerere University offers you world-class academic resources, mentorship, and networks—but the impact you make with these resources will depend on your discipline, integrity, and vision,” Prof. Nawangwe remarked.
A Call for Responsible Living
The Vice Chancellor further urged the new recruits to embrace university life responsibly and form lasting bonds that will support future networks.
“I encourage you to engage fully and responsibly in University life, build lasting bonds with your peers, and, equally important, keep your home communities close to your heart. Let the knowledge and skills you gain here become the seed for innovative solutions to the challenges facing your communities, our country, Uganda, and the African continent.” Prof Nawangwe emphasised.
Prof. Nawangwe further expressed his gratitude to the Mastercard Foundation for recognising Makerere University as a worthy partner and pledged to continue supporting all the Mastercard Foundation’s initiatives at Makerere University.
Leadership starts with self
Mr. Adrian Bukenya, the Senior Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program globally and the Country Director for Uganda, urged Scholars to embrace leadership, particularly through self-leadership. He emphasised that the Scholars Program is fundamentally a leadership development program.
“The Scholars Program offers more than just a scholarship; it is a leadership development Program. I encourage you, Scholars, to embrace leadership, and leadership starts with leading yourself, then your community, your country and the continent,” Mr. Bukenya emphasised.
Mr. Bukenya expressed his gratitude to the Management of Makerere University for partnering with the Mastercard Foundation on various initiatives. He emphasised that the Foundation is committed to continuing this partnership to educate young people and nurture the next generation of leaders on the African continent.
Selection Process Highlights
On his part, the Chairperson of the Scholars Selection Committee, represented by Mr Charles Ssentongo, the Deputy Academic Registrar responsible for Undergraduate admissions, congratulated all the Scholars who had made it through a very competitive and watertight selection process. To illustrate how tight the selection process had been, he shared compelling statistics that clearly demonstrated its competitiveness.
“We received 3,664 Applications for the Scholarship; 2,904 Undergraduates and 760 master’s students. Of these scholarship applicants, 1,440 Undergraduates and 280 Master’s students were admitted to Makerere University on private sponsorship, and they were all eligible for the Scholarship,” Mr Ssentongo pointed out.
Mr Ssentongo informed the attentive audience that one of the biggest challenges the Committee faced was the very high number of applicants, while the number of scholarships available was always very small. Mr Ssentongo then highlighted further statistics that characterised the tedious selection process.
“For the Undergraduates, 650 applicants were shortlisted for interviews, while 58 Master’s applicants were also shortlisted. Of these, 245 undergraduates and 13 Master’s students were selected for the final award,” Mr Ssentongo highlighted.
Celebrating A Diverse Cohort
The Program Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere, Prof. Justine Namaalwa, used the occasion to highlight achievements made in the years gone by.
“Today, we are overjoyed to have successfully recruited 258 Cohort 9 Scholars—bringing us to the mark of 546 Scholars, 54.6% of the target recruitment of 1,000 Scholars under Phase II of the Program. To date, a total of 1,596 Scholars have been recruited since 2013, when the Scholars Program started at Makerere University,” Prof. Namaalwa announced.
Prof. Namaalwa showcased the diversity created by the Scholars Program, highlighting the arrival of international students from across the African continent at Makerere University through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
“For Cohort 9 Scholars, it’s time to celebrate our diversity in the Program. Let me call out the nationalities represented in the room: Lesotho (1 Scholar), Malawi (1 Scholar), Ghana (1 Scholar), D.R. Congo (13 Scholars), Cameroon (7 Scholars), Burundi (3 Scholars), Rwanda (10 Scholars), South Sudan (40 Scholars) and Tanzania (1 Scholar).” Prof. Namaalwa revealed.
Scholars Speak Out
Nathan Tamba, an international student from Cameroon, conveyed his enthusiasm regarding the opportunities afforded by the scholarship, particularly the prospect of pursuing his studies at Makerere University, recognised as one of the leading institutions on the continent.
“On behalf of my fellow scholars, I would like to express our gratitude to Makerere University and the Mastercard Foundation for awarding us this scholarship. It has given me the opportunity to study at this prestigious university and to experience Uganda for the first time.” Tamba remarked.
Tamba, clearly delighted like his fellow scholars, committed to using the scholarship opportunity to gain knowledge and skills he will use to benefit himself and his community.
The function was punctuated by entertainment from the Makerere University Choir, networking, and plenty of joyous celebration.
Bernard Buteera is Principal Communications Officer for the Scholars Program at Makerere University.
-
General5 days agoUndergraduate Admission Lists 2026/2027
-
General2 weeks agoCall For Applications: ACT-PREP 15 PhD and 10 Postdoctoral Research Fellowships
-
General7 days ago72 Makerere University Students Admitted to 2026 Millennium Fellowship
-
General1 week agoMakerere jumps 200 positions in latest global rankings
-
Computing & IS1 week agoCall For Applications: Mak-AI PhD Fellowship