Business & Management
Uganda’s IGE Cohort 2022 Graduates: New IGE Program (2023-2027) Launched
Uganda’s pioneer cohort of the Inclusive Green Economy (IGE 2022) has graduated with Certificates of Achievement and new IGE five year program (2023-2027) officially launched at Makerere University.
The ceremony organised by the Environment for Development Initiative (EfD-Mak Centre) was held on 5th April 2023 and presided over by the University Vice Chancellor. It was graced by the EfDs Global hub IGE program Lead and Co-leader Prof. Anders Ekbom and Emily Caesar, the EfD Advisory Board Chair, Prof. Umar Kakumba, the Principal College of Business and Management Sciences represented by Dr. Yawe Bruno.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration Eng. Prof. Henry Alinaitwe launched the new IGE Phase and awarded certificates of Achievement to the IGE 2022 fellows on behalf of the Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Alinaitwe appreciated the Swedish IGE program coordinators, the Swedish government and the tax payer for the commitment and support towards the program as well as the human capacity building, research and infrastructure development on the continent.
He observed that environmental degradation and climate change are common and eminent resulting from unsustainable human and economic activities and the ever the ever increasing population.
“The Inclusive Green Economy program is definitely for all of us. As a university, it gives us the opportunity to interact with various stakeholders, policy makers key ministries and it means, we already have some key contacts as extra resources. As a university, we want to be seen to be impacting society “
Alinaitwe implored the EfD-Mak Centre and IGE fellows to collaborate with the Economic Policy Research Centre to conduct research in environmental, economic and agricultural matters among others.
The Leader of the IGE program at the EfD Global hub at the University of Gothenburg Sweden Prof. Anders Ekbong said the program collaborates with the EfD Centres across the globe to support and build capacity in government ministries and agencies.
The EfD contributes to more effective environmental management to policy relevant research capacity development and policy engagement and the IGE is part of this.
In 2023 and beyond, Anders said EfD and IGE will jointly focus on sustainable energy transitions and interdisciplinary collaboration.
“An Inclusive Green Economy is an economic development that improves human being and social equity while significantly reducing environmental risk and ecological scarcities. The program strives to avoid economic growth that is attained at the expense of the environment and includes the aspect of inclusion such as social acceptance, public involvement in planning, decision making and follow up”.
IGE is a capacity building program for senior public servants in East Africa and economic policy instruments to achieve green transitions. Other parts of EfD focus on academic capacity building while the IGE is in this, it translates research into policy and practice, bridging gaps between research and policy”. Anders explained
He said, during the two years, the IGE program covered 5 countries and 55 civil servants have been enrolled constituting the IGE Alumni/fellows.
The program according to Anders has received 7.5 million dollars to implement the second phase of a slightly modified IGE program to accelerate transition towards inclusive green economy, develop skills and increase use of evidence based policy making and to build a community of practice on IGE to improve collaboration between government organisations, sector stakeholders and the academia.
The EfD-Mak Board Chairman Prof. Umar Kakumba said the university is delighted to have this strategic partnership that enabled the university join the global network of environmental economists to establish the Centre as one of the hubs, expanding opportunities of pursuing strategic partnership.
“The launch of the IGE for the next five years attest to the fact that the preliminary phase has been successful in a way of meeting the goals that were set and it is an affirmation on our part that Makerere continuous to be a university for the region and the university that is seeking the North-South partnership to create interventions that can address emerging problems related to environment”, Kakumba said.
The new IGE phase according to the board chair comes on the heels of capacity building that has taken place where the university has had the policy makers, governments and nongovernmental agencies spread across and where the training has come in handy of supporting the mission of training and capacity building and human capital development of the country.
Kakumba underscored the importance of training people in policy as important
“Policy remains key without which a country may not succeed even with resource because they may be wasted. Policy must provide a pivot around which the entire operations rotate and policy must guide action and ensure that goals and objectives of any institution or project are achieved.
Representing the Principal CoBAMS, Dr. Yawe Bruno congratulated the fellows upon successfully completing the program. He said the activities executed by the EfD-Mak Centre speak to the University and college strategic objectives, the national development plan as well as the sustainable development goals.
“It is encouraging to learn that Sida has agreed to fund the new IGE phase for which we congratulate the IGE team lead. I appreciate the hard work of your team. The college appreciates the leadership of the EfD-Mak Centre for coordinating the IGE activities.
The Centre is a special kind of undertaking because its leadership is of hybrid nature bringing two colleges together and following that, we have joint academic programs”, The Principal appreciated.
The Director EfD-Mak Centre Prof. Edward Bbaale said, Makerere University has had a long-term collaboration with Sida particularly through the university of Gothenburg including training PhD candidates specialising in environmental economics with the objective of ensuring that candidates come back home and participate in policy reviews, formulation and advising government in the area of environmental economics.
Later Bbaale said, it was realised that the candidates lacked a platform to engage with government and undertake several activities related to policy engagement and advise to government and hence the University of Gothenburg sought to create an institutional platform where research and engagement takes place leading to the birth of the EfD-Mak Centre – one of the 14 others across the world.
“I want to give credit to the institutional framework established at Makerere in that when Dr. Anders and colleagues came up with the concept of Inclusive Green Economy, there was an established platform to leverage.The Inclusive Green Economy is being implemented through the EfD-Mak Centre”. Bbaale said
Both the EfD and IGE operated as sister interventions sponsored by Sida from the University of Gothenburg. Within the two years implementation of the IGE, senior civil servants have been trained and because of the synergies of the IGE and EfD, the two beginning 2023 merged into one mega program to create more impact in green growth and environmental sustainability.
“The ingenuity and hard work of our leads in the University of Gothenburg and Sida agreed to sponsor another phase for five years where we are going to train government officials at senior level and uniquely we agreed as a team to recruit only five per year because the hands-on and other closely monitored activities that take place during the training”, Bbaale added.
The participants are selected by heads of government ministries who recommend participants on the program. Through this program Bbaale said, both the visibility of the university and connection to other partners have improved.
IGE Graduands speak out
The graduating IGE fellows applauded the initiative as enriching
“We have been having knowledge on green economy but the inclusive bit has been missing. IGE program is helping us to make green economy inclusive because as we transition, we want programs, projects and investments which reconcile environment and economic development. The inclusive component is enabling us to have a win-win situation by bringing in the would-be losers for the green economy among the beneficiaries”, Aaron Werikhe from the National Planning Authority.
“The course is very timely for us particularly in two ways; It is going to enable previous participants form a community of practice that is going to connect the dots between what has been researched and what we are going to practice”, Andrew Masaba from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
“As a city, we are struggling with issues of climate change, environment, waste, dust in the city and the increasing city population and the growing economy. This program has been very useful in helping us to learn the policy instruments that we can use in addressing environmental problems in the city, developing strategies and how to address climate change issues but also make economic growth of the city sustainable without affecting the environment.
So, we are developing a number of projects around this to make the city better. I thank the organisers, it has been a very good program and I pray that many other people benefit from it”, Robert Kyukyu Ag. Director Strategic Management and Business Development at Kampala Capital City Authority.
Courtesy Call on the Vice Chancellor
Prior to the launch of the new five year IGE program (2023-2027) and IGE 2022 cohort graduation ceremony, the IGE Lead team from the EfD Global Hub paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe in his office in the Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility.
The two-week training programme aims to equip government officers with practical skills to assess project viability, manage investment risks and ensure public resources deliver value for money.
The Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE) is strengthening the capacity of government officers to undertake financial appraisal and risk analysis of public investment projects through a two-week training programme designed to improve the quality of project preparation, appraisal and decision-making in Uganda.
The training, which started in Fort Portal on October 19, 2026, brought together participants from various government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), alongside facilitators from Makerere University, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Cambridge Resources International (CRI), the National Planning Authority and the Uganda Development Bank.
Officially opening the training on behalf of the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury, Ms Esther Ayebare, Acting Assistant Commissioner in the Project Analysis and Public Investment Department of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, emphasised the importance of rigorous project appraisal in strengthening Uganda’s public investment management system.
She noted that projects admitted into the public investment plan must be aligned with national priorities, technically sound, financially viable and capable of delivering value for money.
“Government must be able to compare investment alternatives and ensure that only viable projects proceed through the public investment process,” she emphasised.
Ms Ayebare explained that sound appraisal enables government to make informed investment decisions, maximise returns on public expenditure and ensure that limited public resources are directed towards projects with the greatest potential to deliver development outcomes.
Building practical skills for better investment decisions
The training builds on the Public Investment Management course conducted in June, which introduced participants to Uganda’s public investment management framework, including project conceptualisation, stakeholder analysis, project costing, implementation action plans, the Integrated Bank of Projects, and monitoring and evaluation of public investment reforms.
The current programme advances this foundation by equipping participants with technical competencies in financial appraisal, financial modelling and risk analysis.
Participants will explore integrated investment appraisal, alternative investment criteria, cash-flow statements, inflation and exchange-rate movements, asset valuation, project financing, project scale and timing, risk-sharing arrangements and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Through practical exercises and case studies, participants will apply these concepts to investment scenarios in sectors such as roads, health, education and water. The programme will also examine how climate change, social considerations and other risks can be integrated into project preparation and appraisal.
Ms Ayebare encouraged participants to engage actively with the facilitators, question the practical application of the tools and consider how the skills acquired could improve investment decisions within their respective institutions.
She also reminded participants that the programme includes an examination and that certification requires more than attendance. Participants are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and acquire practical skills that they can apply in their work.
Reducing dependence on externally prepared studies
A key objective of the training is to strengthen the ability of government institutions to undertake high-quality project appraisal studies using their own technical teams.
Ms Ayebare observed that many studies submitted to the Development Committee have traditionally been prepared by external consultants, often at considerable cost. Building the capacity of public officers to conduct these studies independently can help institutions strengthen their technical expertise and improve the quality of project proposals presented for consideration.
She urged participants to take full advantage of the facilitators’ expertise and return to their institutions equipped to undertake sound financial appraisals and provide evidence-based advice to decision-makers.
She further emphasised that project approval requires thorough preparation, analysis and justification, rather than simply identifying available funding and proposing a project to utilise it.
Strengthening public investment management through capacity development
In his remarks, Prof. Edward Bbaale, Director of the PIM CoE, thanked the Ministry of Finance for its financial support and for identifying participants from government institutions. He also recognised the contributions of the facilitators and partner institutions in delivering the programme.
Prof. Bbaale noted that the Centre’s work extends beyond training to include research and advisory services aimed at improving public investment management practices. He encouraged continued collaboration with government institutions and other partners to advance research, knowledge sharing and capacity development.
Speaking during the training, Dr John Sseruyange, Manager of the PIM CoE, highlighted the importance of commitment, active participation and punctuality throughout the programme. He encouraged participants to engage with the facilitators, ask questions and apply the knowledge gained to the projects they support.
Dr Sseruyange also acknowledged the Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, for financing the training, and appreciated Cambridge Resources International for its continued support towards improving public investment preparation and analysis in Uganda.
The training reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen Uganda’s public investment management system by equipping public officers with the knowledge and practical competencies needed to assess projects rigorously, identify potential risks and make informed investment decisions.
By developing in-house expertise across government institutions, the programme seeks to contribute to better-prepared projects, more efficient use of public resources and improved delivery of Uganda’s development priorities.
Business & Management
Makerere University Signs MoU with World Association of Noonomy: Sets pace for the African Centre of Excellence
By Ritah Namisango and Monica Meeme
Makerere University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Association of Noonomy, setting the pace for academic collaboration, research and the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Noonomy in Africa.
On behalf of Makerere University, the MoU was signed by Professor Sarah Ssali, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), during the World Congress on Noonomy held in Rome, Italy, from 16th-19th September 2026, paving the way for the establishment of a dedicated institute of Excellence for Noonomy at College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS).
Uganda was the only African country represented at the World Congress on Noonomy, with a Makerere University delegation including Prof. Sarah Ssali-Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Edward Bbaale-Principal College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Dr Peter Babyenda-Lecturer at the School of Economics and Policy Engagement Coordinator, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), and Mr. Tonny Mayambala Sebbaggala, a Ugandan Economist based in Russia.
Commenting on the development, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe said, “By signing this MoU, the African Centre for Noonomy has been established at Makerere University. This adds to the growing number of African continental research centres that are coordinated by Makerere University. Makerere is clearly a leader on the Continent.”
The MoU signed on 19th September 2026 in Rome-Italy, builds on the inaugural conference on Noonomy, held in Uganda on 20th August 2026 at Makerere University under the theme, “The Theory of Noonomy and its Role in Resolving Modernity Issues: Pathways to Sustainable Social and Economic Transformation.”
At the Global Congress of the World Association of Noonomy, the scholars from Makerere University delivered three (3) presentations focusing on Noonomy and development challenges in East Africa, the transition from informal to formal employment, and the role of universities in advancing Noonomy.
About the Theory
The Theory of Noonomy is an emerging theoretical approach developed by Professor Sergey Bodrunov, Director of the S.Y. Witte Institute, which examines the changing relationship between knowledge, technology, production and human development. The theory places emphasis on knowledge and human potential as important drivers of development, while highlighting humanistic values and solidarity in shaping economic and social progress.
Advancing Alternative Economic Thought in Africa
Speaking at the Annual gathering in Rome, Prof. Sarah Ssali described Makerere University’s partnership as a great honour, highlighting the importance of creating space for broader theoretical perspectives on political economy and the global economy.
Reflecting on the evolution of political science and political economy studies, Prof. Ssali noted that following the era of Glasnost and Perestroika, free-market ideology and neoliberalism became increasingly dominant in global economic thinking.
“This dominance created a need for scholars to critically examine both the opportunities and limitations of market-based approaches,” she said.
She welcomed the opportunity to explore alternative ways of understanding the world, including not only the material relations of production, but also the material relations of consumption.
Prof. Ssali also acknowledged the Witte Institute for initiating the initiative and for choosing Makerere University as a key partner on the African continent.
She said Makerere University plans to establish a dedicated centre focused on the emerging area of study, with the institution aiming to launch the centre in February 2027.
“We hope the centre will become a leading African platform for research, teaching and dialogue on these issues,” she asserted.
Prof. Ssali noted that the ideas emerging from the Kampala meeting (held on 20th August 2026) are already being incorporated into Makerere University’s theoretical classes, with plans to substantially expand the initiative following the establishment of the centre of excellence.
She reaffirmed Makerere University’s commitment to the partnership and to expanding scholarly engagement on alternative approaches to political economy.
Call for Growth that Advances Social Welfare
Delivering the presentation titled: “The Role of Noonomy in Addressing Development Challenges in East Africa,” Prof. Edward Bbaale, Principal of the Makerere University College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), explored the potential of Noonomy as an alternative framework for understanding and addressing persistent development challenges in East Africa.
Prof. Bbaale noted that the approach contributes to emerging academic discussions on how economic systems can better connect economic growth with social wellbeing and inclusive development outcomes in the region.
“The study contributes to emerging academic discussions on how economic systems can better link economic growth with social wellbeing and inclusive development outcomes in the region,” he said.
The paper was co-authored with Dr Peter Babyenda and formed part of the scholarly contributions presented at the World Congress on Noonomy in Rome, Italy.
Prioritizing Human-Centred Development
Dr Peter Babyenda said Makerere University’s participation in the World Congress on Noonomy in Rome marked an important step in the University’s international engagement with the Theory of Noonomy.
“The engagement paves the way for establishing a Centre of Excellence for Noonomy at the School of Economics, under the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS),” he stated.
Dr Babyenda explained that the Theory of Noonomy places human welfare at the centre of development, arguing that development should be assessed not only through productivity and infrastructure, but also by how it improves people’s wellbeing.
He said consumption, knowledge transfer and solidarity are important considerations, including in the application of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.
Dr Babyenda revealed that Uganda has been offered an opportunity to host an upcoming World Congress on Noonomy, which he said could bring together participants from more than 55 countries and create opportunities for academic exchange, industry engagement and international visibility for Uganda.
He called upon the academia and industry to collaborate with Makerere University in advancing its engagement with the emerging field.
The Signing of the MoU at the Global Congress of the World Association of Noonomy marks a milestone in Makerere University’s efforts to contribute to international scholarly discussions on alternative approaches to understanding economic systems and development.
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