The inaugural edition of the Youth and Innovation Expo was a roaring success as over 300 innovators showcased their creations and thousands of guests walked through the doors of the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, as well as traversed the surrounding spaces on 6^th and 7^th October 2023. Organised by Makerere University in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Expo was held under the theme “Fostering Innovation for Uganda’s Transformational Development”. The event was sponsored by MTN Uganda, while StartHub Africa – a hybrid-social venture curated all the knowledge sessions over the two-day period.

Officially opened by Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament on 6^th October 2023, the Expo was graced by the Chairperson of Council Mrs. Lorna Magara, Resident Representative UNDP Uganda H.E. Elsie Attafuah, Ambassador of Italy to Uganda H.E. Massimiliano Mazzanti, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, and the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) Prof. Frank Norbert Mwine among other dignitaries. The Expo was officially closed on 7^th October 2023 by the Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs Hon. Nyirabashitsi Sarah Mateke.

Delivering an abridged version of his keynote address, Rt. Hon. Tayebwa could not help but appreciate the strides that Makerere University is making as it transitions from producing job seekers to producing job creators, through initiatives aimed at nurturing youth innovations and youth enterprise. “I want to thank the Country Director UNDP, H.E. Elsie Attafuah and the entire diplomatic corp for this enormous gesture and timing to help Makerere transition.”

Recalling with nostalgia his own academic journey through Makerere, Rt. Hon. Tayebwa could not help but appreciate his Alma mater for not only offering the bedrock upon which he built his career but also according him the opportunity to hone his entrepreneurship skills. “The assurance I can give you is that I might have been a son of a peasant, but I’m no longer a peasant and my children will never be peasants.”

The Deputy Speaker decried the perverse poor saving culture especially among the youth today, noting that “the problem we have is, when we get money, we eat and when we are full, we save. You can’t develop that way”. He reminded the congregation that funders like UNDP are providing seed, while the Government is proving the environment conducive for innovation to thrive, and it was upon the youth to make the most of it and develop successful enterprises that can help grow the Uganda’s tax-to-GDP ratio from the current 13.9%.

In her remarks, the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara thanked H.E. Elsie Attafuah for steering UNDP’s support to nurtur innovation and entrepreneurship at Makerere, noting that the expo was a dream come true. “We are creating a platform that facilitates meaningful engagement between the youth and the various partners to tap into their expertise and experience.”

The Chairperson of Council equally thanked the Deputy Speaker for sparing time to preside over the Expo’s opening ceremony, noting that Rt. Hon. Tayebwa, while serving as a Council Member wrote the first concept to create a business hub for Makerere University. She added that Makerere is transitioning from a second generation to a third generation university. “Third generation universities are those that not only generate knowledge but also have innovation that is then translated into competitive enterprises that impact society.”

Responding to the “why now?” question that could have been lingering in the audience, H.E. Elsie Attafuah shared that since we live in a world of uncertainties such as covid-19, climate change and wars, “we must invest and we must innovate” to enable us overcome the effects associated with these uncertainties. Furthermore, she noted that in the midst of unevenness in development progress, “we must redouble our efforts by investing in innovations and solutions that will help us progress as a country.”

Thirdly on the “why now?”, she stressed that the unemployment in Uganda, Africa and other developing countries ought to concern us all. “We must seize this opportunity to create job opportunities for our young people… we can no longer be exporting our wealth and importing poverty into our continent.”

In her fourth and final response to the “why now?”, H.E. Attafuah revealed that development is being unfunded. “We see the trajectory. While development financing is increasing, it is increasing into other spaces and not necessarily the development agenda of Africa,” she noted with concern, before adding “in fact it is moving out of Africa.” The UNDP Resident Representative reminded her audience that whereas overseas development assistance is catalytic, it will not solve the problems of poverty in any country.

Still on the topic of development, H.E. Massimiliano Mazzanti acknowledged that the need to match his country’s support to national development is often prioritized in discussions with Ugandan authorities. That notwithstanding, of particular interest to the Embassy has been support to the Ugandan youth, whom the Ambassador admitted showcase amazing creativity.

H.E. Mazzanti gave the example of the Start-up Africa Road Trip project promoted by “BeEntrepreneurs”, an Italian non-profit association created in 2017, that seeks to create inclusive and collaborative ecosystem between young African and Italian start-up companies. “We do this training through road trips and select exclusively the best start-ups in Uganda and as a member of the panel of judges, I am amazed by the creativity and capacity of innovation of start-uppers in this country.”

The best three companies are then sent to Italy to develop their ideas together with Italian start-up companies at the expense of the host Government. In the last six years, the initiative has supported 300 African start-ups through workshops, bootcamps and competitions, as well as reached 3.5million youth in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

The Youth4Climate is another initiative co-led by the Government of Italy and UNDP to raise awareness of climate change and sustain long-term engagement with youth. “What we want is to create a new class of leaders on climate change for the future” added Ambassador Mazzanti.

“The majority of our population are the youth and we must tap into their energies to move our country and continent forward positively” remarked the Prof. Nawangwe in relation to youth and entrepreneurship. “Makerere has resolved to be a leader in research and innovations because we realize that we must empower these youth to create jobs for themselves and for the other people who are less advantaged than them” he added.

The Vice Chancellor therefore thanked the UNDP for partnering with Makerere to organise the inaugural Youth and Innovation Expo. Additionally, he thanked UNDP for supporting the establishment of the Makerere Innovation Hub, which will accord the students and youth elsewhere the opportunity to develop their ideas, “and move out of these gates with companies in their pockets to go and create jobs for themselves and all other Ugandans.”

In addition to the exhibitors from all ten Makerere University Colleges and other participating entities, the Youth and Innovation Expo featured a fireside chat (ekyooto) by H.E. Elsie Attafuah and Mrs. Lorna Magara, five knowledge sessions, and a free medical camp by the Makerere University Hospital and the Nakasero Blood Bank. The two-day event also featured an Art and Fashion Exhibition by the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts (MTSIFA), a Fashion Show, Entertainment Corners by various partners and the Department of Performing Arts and Film (PAF) as well as Food Vendor Stalls.

Please click the embedded video below to view proceedings of the Youth and Innovation Expo.