General
Empower the Youth to take advantage of AfCFTA-H.E. Jallow-Tambajang
The Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC) Presidential Lecture Series (PLS) is an annual event that brings together prominent speakers, great leaders and thinkers to Makerere University to engage in thought-provoking conversations with stakeholders particularly students and the youth. Held from 6th to 8th June, the 2023 edition of the PLS was graced by Her Excellency Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, former Vice President of The Gambia. As such, Her Excellency held one-on-one discussions with Young Female Leaders at a Media Blitz Roundtable on 6th, steered a Cross-generational Fireside (Ekyooto) Conversation with Female University Student Leaders on 7th and crowned it all with a Keynote Address on 8th June on the theme “Celebrating Women, Pan-Africanism and Community”.
“Coming back to Uganda, Kampala, Entebbe makes me feel very proud and honoured and happy to see that Uganda is growing both in terms of economic and social development but also the friendliness, the fraternity that I have always known” H.E. Jallow-Tambajang cheerfully remarked as she commenced her address. Her joy was indeed tangible as she recalled with nostalgia the time she spent in Uganda as a newly-married sixteen (16) year old housewife, later returning as a UN Expert for Missions around 1993.
In the same breath, she paid tribute to her Ugandan “Father” Ambassador Matiya Lubega, with whom she worked for close to five years in The Gambia. Amb. Lubega served as Resident Representative and Co-coordinator of United Nations activities in The Gambia in the late 1980s and was commended by Her Excellency for being truly Pan-African in ensuring that UNDP programs were responsive to needs and realities of the Gambian people. In so doing, she noted, Amb. Lubega transcended the elitist attitude often exuded by international experts and used the opportunity to connect with and empower the people.
Empowerment, particularly of the youth, is important in the African context where only 5-10% of national resources are invested in their programmes. “What we need to do is knock at every door and see what opportunities are available” remarked H.E. Jallow-Tambajang. “The AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area) provides billions of dollars for entrepreneurship; the African Development Bank also has a programme (The Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund) which is giving so much money to the African Youth” she added, addressing political and other leaders.
Her Excellency’s remark was premised on the need for Africa to invest in her youth in order to sustain the continent’s aspirations to put people at the centre of development programmes, as envisioned by the “unify and uplift” principle of Pan-Africanism. She explained that the Pan-African spirit is rooted in the African culture of solidarity, sharing, leaving the comfort zone, and opting to serve mankind, aspects that she said have slowly been erased.
“The talent Africa has is a talent that has been underutilized, when we have everything. What we need is a sense of justice, really including the Pan-African spirit; rather than sitting in our corners and saying ‘I’m Gambian, I’m Ugandan,’ we say we are Pan-Africans” she remarked.
Turning to the area of Women, H.E. Jallow-Tambajang outlined misconceptions about Islam and the older more experienced women not communicating enough as some of challenges experienced in the quest to economically and politically empower women.
“People who do not understand religion will say that Islam suppresses women whereas when you look at the Holy Quran, God has confined two verses to women… the other challenge we have had is the fact that the elderly women have not been communicating enough with the young people to impart knowledge and pass the baton to prepare them for leadership” she noted.
To address the latter, Her Excellency demonstrated her commitment to pass the baton of leadership to the younger generation by introducing her granddaughter, Ms. Ejatou Barry, a personal assistant in her philanthropic work. In the same breath, she recognized Ms. Charlene Ruto, a Youth Champion and Advocate for Climate Change Action for her work, despite sections of the public linking it to State funding by virtue of her being a daughter to Kenyan President H.E. William Ruto.
H.E. Jallow-Tambajang saluted President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for embodying the Pan-African spirit by waiving her requirement for a visa in order to attend the Lecture Series. She equally recognized Dr. Nansozi K. Muwanga, Executive Director, JNLC for her role in ensuring that she made the trip to attend the PLS and pledged as a Senior Citizen, to establish twinning relationships between JNLC and institutions in The Gambia.
“When I go back, I will look at how I can influence to have more students come to Makerere University and vice-versa, I can try as much as possible to influence how Makerere University students can also go to other parts of Africa that I have visited, because that is the way we can develop the culture of Pan-Africanism, the culture of solidarity, and the culture of sharing knowledge” she added.
Her Excellency had some nuggets of wisdom to share with the youth too. “Young men usually think when they are educated and have their PhDs, they no longer need the elders” she observed, before emphasizing “this is the time you need elders. What the elders are going to give you in terms of wisdom, you cannot read from books… the elders have the experience; they have journeyed through life with little resources and are able to help you.”
She equally urged the youth to use social media as a tool to empower each other, reach out to peers in the Pan-African setting and learn from their good experiences. And whereas the Former Vice President respected the youth’s right to protest, she urged them to choose the path of dialogue instead. “Every time you go onto the streets, you are losing something. If you break infrastructure and want to become leaders, where will you find the resources to rebuild your countries?” she reasoned.
H.E. Jallow-Tambajang concluded by urging African political leaders, thinkers and policy makers to make the dream of a borderless Africa a reality so as to eliminate the barriers to free trade imposed on us by colonial boundaries. “Africa’s vision is shared prosperity and this can no longer hold without empowering the youth through entrepreneurship and different leadership fora they want.”
The Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara who graced the PLS thanked H.E. Jallow-Tambajang for making the trip to Makerere to deliver her keynote address. Quoting from Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s famous book “Women’s Freedom: Women are Eagles, Not Chickens” she reiterated the University leadership’s commitment to ensuring that the youth, particularly women that go through the gates of Makerere University will be empowered to straighten their wings and fly like the eagles that they truly are.
She noted that Makerere has consistently been an advocate of women’s emancipation, right from the 1945 admission of the first six females and the 1990 enactment of 1.5 extra points for all female students to the 2019 policy providing for a 40 percent enrollment quota for female students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and the 2021 policy doubling the number of awards under the Female Scholarship Initiative (FSI) from 20 to 40.
“All these milestones notwithstanding, it is of utmost importance that our students enjoy an environment that is conducive to academic excellence and free of any form of abuse… with support of our partners, we have revised our Policy and Regulations Against Sexual Harassment and empowered our Gender Mainstreaming Directorate to receive and investigate any allegations of sexual harassment levelled against our staff and students” she added.
Mrs. Magara congratulated the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre on their efforts to groom and equip our young leaders with the moral campus for leadership and a willingness to serve through various courses, which have even been used to induct Student Leaders of the 88th Guild.
Elaborating further on the JNLC’s role in empowering students, Executive Director Dr. Suzie Nansozi Muwanga said that Centre’s youth leadership training programme is aimed at addressing skills gaps among young leaders through short courses in Financial Literacy, self-awareness as well as mental health and wellbeing. “One of the products we are particularly proud of; a tailored leadership course, will be made available on the Makerere University E-Learning Environment (MUELE) platform and accessible to all students starting this academic year.”
She added that in H.E. Jallow-Tambajang, the JNLC had found the perfect candidate to deliver the 2023 PLS. “Her Excellency’s track record as a mediator, human rights defender, political activist, and effective advocate for women’s rights, in addition to being a champion of basic education, maternal care, healthcare and women in entrepreneurship is nothing short of remarkable. Furthermore, her ability to do all this while fulfilling her obligations as a mother paints an amazing picture for our young women and aspiring female university student leaders to emulate.”
PLS 2023 also featured a panel discussion moderated by Ms. Charlene Ruto, with the 89th Guild President H.E. Maseruka Robert, Vice President Uganda Management Institute (UMI) Guild Union, Ms. Akatukunda Maureen, and former Makerere Guild Minister and Lawyer, Ms. Kirabo Marion as panelists.
Delivering the closing remarks, Director General UMI, Dr. James Nkata clarified that Pan-Africanism is neither an agenda, nor an event, nor a political slogan but rather a supra philosophy that all other philosophies on the continent are supposed to fit within. He added that leaders are not made but grown through the process of socialization. “The social structures that bring up the human beings that live in those communities are the ones that grow the leaders.”
Consequently, Dr. Nkata clarified that Pan-Africanism cannot be promoted through legislative announcements but through societal socializations. He therefore urged JNLC to initiate research on how we can 1) re-socialize our societies to develop a new conscience of Pan-Africanism where everybody is accorded equal opportunity and 2) de-construct human constructs in Africa that demean women, “because it is through academia that knowledge is generated and value is created.”
The day would have been incomplete without a display of culture and creativity, and the Department of Performing Arts and Film was on hand to deliver a thrilling display of dance as well as an original composition by Dr. Milton Wabyona. To crown it all, the 89th Guild represented by President H.E. Maseruka Robert and Finance Minister Ms. Kiranda Sharifah presented a portrait by the School of Liberal and Performing Arts GRC, Mr. Ainamaani Brian to H.E. Jallow-Tambajang. PLS 2023 was moderated by the Acting Deputy Principal, School of Law, Dr. Zahara Nampewo and Principal Public Relations Officer, Ms. Ritah Namisango.
By Moses Lutaaya
Kampala, September 4, 2026 — Makerere University and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have explored new opportunities for strengthening academic, research and innovation collaboration between Uganda, Japan and other African countries, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace engineering, materials and remote sensing, food value chains, energy, water and climate change.
The discussions took place on Friday, September 4, 2026, at the Makerere University Main Building in the Vice Chancellor’s Board Room, during a visit by a JICA delegation led by Dr. Okano Takasei, Senior Advisor, Human Development Department of JICA.
Makerere keen to deepen collaboration with JICA
Welcoming the delegation, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Sarah Ssali, highlighted Makerere University’s long-standing tradition of research, international collaboration and contribution to knowledge generation in Uganda and beyond.
Prof. Ssali noted that Makerere has built a strong global research footprint through partnerships with institutions around the world, observing that the University is well positioned to deepen international collaboration as emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, continue to transform research and higher education.
“Uganda has a very long history of doing research, and particularly it has informed research findings in the areas global health research,” Prof. Ssali said, pointing to Uganda’s historical contribution to global scientific knowledge.
She cited the country’s contribution to medical and biological research, including early research on sleeping sickness, noting that Uganda’s unique research environment continues to offer opportunities for scientific discovery.
Prof. Ssali said Makerere’s history of collaboration with Japan is particularly significant, noting that Japanese cooperation has contributed not only to academic and research activities but also to infrastructure development and other sectors in Uganda.
She cited the establishment of the JICA building at Makerere, describing it as one of the visible symbols of Japan’s long-standing partnership with Makerere University.
According to Prof. Ssali, the building, which houses College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) disciplines of geology, petroleum studies and administrative offices, was constructed during her undergraduate years and completed within a remarkably short period.
Prof. Ssali said the long-standing relationship between Uganda, Makerere University and Japan provides a strong foundation upon which new areas of collaboration can be built. She encouraged the visiting JICA delegation to explore the University and identify areas where existing partnerships could be strengthened or new areas of cooperation developed.
“Please take time and explore and see where either you already have a footprint, where you’ve ever had a footprint, or where you could explore new areas,” she said.
Prof. Ssali added that Makerere was privileged to host the JICA delegation and expressed optimism that the visit would lead to meaningful and sustainable partnerships.
Strengthening Joint Collaboration through AJ-ASPIRE
Dr. Okano, in his remarks as leader of the delegation said the visit formed part of a broader JICA initiative aimed at promoting academic and research collaboration between Japanese and African universities.
He explained that the initiative was launched on the occasion of the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), held in Yokohama in September 2025, with the objective of strengthening academic and research partnerships between Japan and Africa.
According to Dr. Okano, the initiative is intended to benefit both African and Japanese universities by providing platforms for internationalisation, collaborative research and the exchange of knowledge, researchers and students. “We would like to play a role of facilitator between universities in Japan and Africa and Uganda as well,” he said.
He explained that JICA is currently promoting the initiative through three African hub universities where JICA already has ongoing projects and experts on the ground.
The three institutions are Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST) in Egypt, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Kenya, and Stellenbosch University in South Africa.
Dr. Okano said the selection of the three institutions was informed by the presence of ongoing JICA-supported projects and experts who can facilitate collaboration between the hub universities and institutions across Africa and Japan.
The hub universities are currently coordinating research with Japanese universities in strategic areas, with E-JUST focusing on energy, JKUAT leading work on food value chains, and Stellenbosch University focusing on water and climate change.
Dr. Okano said JICA was particularly pleased to explore collaboration with Makerere University under the African-Japan Initiative for Research and Education Partnerships, known as AJ-ASPIRE.
He outlined three major avenues through which Makerere could participate in the initiative.
The first is participation in existing research programmes hosted by the three hub universities. He added that Makerere researchers could join ongoing research on energy, food value chains, water and climate change, thereby creating opportunities to work with Japanese and other African researchers.
“We would like to explore opportunity for researchers from Makerere University to participate in these ongoing research activities and expand collaboration with Japanese and African partner institutions,” Dr. Okano said.
The second area is the development of new research networks in artificial intelligence and aerospace engineering. Dr. Okano said JICA was planning to establish new research groups focusing on the two areas and would be interested in having Makerere researchers participate in the emerging networks. “We would like to also invite researchers from Makerere University to join these networks and implementation of future collaboration in these two research topics, aerospace engineering and AI,” he said.
The third proposed avenue is increased collaboration between Makerere University and E-JUST, which Dr. Okano said offers fully funded scholarship opportunities for African students through a programme jointly supported by the governments of Egypt and Japan.
He noted that a number of Makerere graduates have already benefited from the programme, including researchers who have pursued doctoral studies and research opportunities in Egypt and Japan.
Dr. Okano cited the example of Mr. Abdonoor Kalibala, a Makerere alumnus whom he recently met in Hiroshima, Japan, following completion of PhD in Mechatronics and Robotics engineering at E-JUST. Mr. Kalibala conducted research in Japan for up to six months under the supervision of a Japanese professor as part of his doctoral programme.
Dr. Okano said such programmes could help strengthen the movement of researchers between Uganda, Egypt and Japan and create lasting institutional partnerships.
He added that JICA is also providing small research grants to alumni of the programmes to help them maintain and expand research collaboration involving Japan, E-JUST and African institutions.
He said Makerere could leverage such opportunities to increase the participation of its students and researchers in international research networks.
AI, Materials and Remote Sensing and International Relations Set the Pace
Prof. Robert Wamala, Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships at Makerere University, said the visit followed an online engagement held a few weeks earlier between Makerere University and JICA, during which several areas and units within the University were identified as potential points of collaboration.
Prof. Wamala said these included the Makerere University AI Lab, the University’s International Office and researchers working in space engineering, particularly in materials and remote sensing.
He welcomed the transition from online discussions to physical engagement, saying the visit would allow JICA representatives to interact directly with researchers, academic units and University authorities. “This interest is being followed up through an in-person visit, which provides us an opportunity for JICA to engage directly with the relevant units and researchers at Makerere University,” Prof. Wamala said.
For Makerere, he added, the initiative provides an opportunity to connect the University’s research strengths with Japanese universities, research institutions and development partners to address shared development challenges.
Prof. Wamala said the University was particularly interested in identifying practical areas of collaboration that could move beyond general discussions to concrete research partnerships, joint projects and opportunities for students and researchers.
He noted that the JICA delegation’s on-campus interactions scheduled to take place throughout the day would enable the two sides to identify specific areas of mutual interest. “We hope these engagements will help us identify specific areas of future interest and provide a basis for developing concrete areas of collaboration under the AJ-ASPIRE,” Prof. Wamala said.
He reiterated Makerere’s commitment to strengthening international research partnerships and thanked JICA for its continued interest in the University.
Dr. Okano, was accompanied by Mr. Ito Idomu, Research and Advisor at the Embassy of Japan, Mr. Osaki Mistuhiro from JICA headquarters, Ms. Eric Maeda from JICA Headquarters, and Ms. Ruth Mbabazi from JICA Uganda.
JICA follow-up meetings with Makerere research units
Following the high-level meeting in the Vice Chancellor’s Board Room, the JICA team, together with the Directorate of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, proceeded to engage with key research and administrative units at Makerere University identified as strategic to the proposed areas of collaboration.
The delegation held meetings with the Makerere University AI Lab, led by Dr. Joyce Nabende of the College of Computing and Information Sciences (COCIS), to explore opportunities for cooperation in artificial intelligence and related emerging technologies.
The team also met officials from the Makerere University International Office, led by Mr. Mathias Ssemanda, where discussions focused on opportunities for strengthening international academic linkages, mobility and institutional partnerships.
A further engagement was held with the Department of Geomatics and Land Management, focusing on materials and remote sensing, led by Prof. Lydia Kayondo from the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT).
The engagements provided an opportunity for the JICA team and Makerere researchers to move from broad discussions on collaboration to more specific conversations around research interests, expertise, existing projects and potential areas for joint work.
The visit marks an important step towards strengthening Makerere University’s engagement with Japanese and African research institutions under AJ-ASPIRE, while opening opportunities for researchers and students to participate in emerging international networks in artificial intelligence, aerospace engineering, remote sensing and other strategic areas of science, technology and innovation.
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