Heifer International has awarded top young innovators in agriculture, youth, and technology through the AYUTE Africa Season 3 challenge, an initiative aimed at nurturing the talents of young people to address pressing challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Africa.

William Matovu, Country Director at Heifer International-Uganda, emphasized the organization’s commitment to tapping into the innovative potential of young people across Africa. He highlighted the significant role that young innovators can play in solving agricultural problems. “Africa has the most fertile soils, with statistics indicating that at least 60 percent of the globe’s uncultivated arable land is in Africa. Yet, it is the same continent that is spending over 1 billion US dollars to import food,” he noted.

During the gala event for AYUTE Africa Season 3, more than UGX 100 million was awarded to the top 10 innovators with the most outstanding technologies designed to help local farmers access affordable solutions to enhance their agricultural productivity.

Matovu pointed out that agriculture in Africa has vast potential but is underutilized. “We spend close to 150 million USD to import vegetable oil while many of our young people are going abroad to take on odd jobs,” he remarked. Through initiatives like the AYUTE Africa challenge, Heifer International aims to reverse this trend by promoting local solutions to agricultural challenges.

In the three years since its inception in 2021, the AYUTE Africa challenge has identified over 500 innovations, many of which are already being introduced to the market. “We believe there is a future around technology in agriculture, which will ride on the rails we have built,” Matovu added, signaling the organization’s long-term commitment to fostering agricultural innovation in Africa.

This year’s grand prize of UGX 50 million was awarded to Assumpta Nakalema, a young innovator from AgroVision Uganda, for her solar-powered egg incubator. Nakalema’s innovation is designed to support smallholder farmers by providing a solution for hatching between 100 and 300 eggs at a time, helping farmers improve productivity and increase profits. “With this project, farmers are going to be helped to commercialize their poultry businesses,” Nakalema explained.

The incubator, equipped with advanced technology, maintains the ideal temperature and humidity necessary for egg development. It features a built-in fan to distribute heat evenly and an AI-powered remote monitoring system that sends real-time sensor data to a cloud server for analysis. A door monitoring system also ensures that the incubation process remains uninterrupted by triggering an alarm if the door is accidentally opened.

Nakalema expressed her gratitude for the funding, stating, “I’m going to use this money to scale up the incubator from a prototype to a marketable product that smallholder farmers can afford.” The solar incubator is poised to transform the poultry industry by making sustainable and affordable hatching technology accessible to farmers.

Angel Uwera, the first runner-up, won UGX 25 million for her Mak Agrometer innovation. This tool informs farmers of the nutrient concentration in their soil, allowing them to optimize their planting and fertilization strategies. The device, equipped with an NPK sensor, enables farmers to collect soil samples and get real-time data on soil health. “Farmers can collect different soil samples from their gardens and insert the sensor to see the exact nutrient levels,” Uwera explained, highlighting how this innovation can enhance crop yields and improve food security.

Other notable innovators recognized during the awards included Olivia Nakiwanuka, the second runner-up, for her Axis Solar innovation, and Stellah Nakirijja, who developed a solar-powered tick detector. Patricia Ninsiima also received recognition for her contributions to agricultural technology.

Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza, representing Makerere University’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, commended Heifer International for providing young innovators with a platform to bring their ideas to life. He pledged Makerere’s continued support for collaborative research and innovation. “For a long time, we have done research, but we have been leaving it on the table. This step will take us far,” Prof. Buyinza remarked.

Ronald Ssegawa Jjagenda, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, represented the State Minister for Animal Industry, Hon. Bright Rwamirama Kanyontore, as the event’s Chief Guest. He emphasized the importance of agricultural technology in addressing the sector’s profound challenges. “Agriculture is facing deep challenges, but technologies like these will offer practical solutions,” he said. Jjagenda also stressed the government’s commitment to supporting young people through programs such as the Parish Development Model and Emyooga, aimed at transforming youth livelihoods through innovation.

In closing, Jjagenda highlighted the need to shift focus from traditional agricultural practices to innovative solutions that can attract more youth to the sector. “We must identify areas within the agriculture value chain where we can engage youth with modern tools, including smartphones, to help them succeed,” he concluded.

The AYUTE Africa challenge is a testament to Heifer International’s dedication to empowering young Africans and revolutionizing agriculture through innovation. With support from organizations like Heifer, young agri-tech innovators are poised to lead Africa toward a more prosperous and sustainable future in agriculture.

The Public Investments Management Centre of Excellence officially launched a two-week training program focused on Financial and Risk Analysis of Public Investments today September 23, 2024. Approximately 30 economists from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are participating in this intensive training, which aims to enhance their skills in public investment management.

The training kicked off with an opening ceremony led by Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, the Dean of the School of Economics at Makerere University. Prof. Okumu expressed gratitude to the Government of Uganda for its generous funding that has made this centre possible. He also acknowledged the dedicated trainers, who bring expertise from Makerere University, the National Planning Authority, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, and Cambridge Resources International.

“This training is not just an opportunity for professional development; it is a crucial step towards ensuring effective management of public investments in Uganda,” Prof. Okumu stated. “The knowledge gained here will have a lasting impact on our nation’s long term economic landscape.” This is because this training enables us to grow a critical mass of planners who have a potential to appraise projects so that we limit bad public projects and increase public project efficiency by increasing the link between public projects and the economy.

Dr. John Seruyange, the Centre Manager, welcomed the trainees and praised their commitment to this capacity-building initiative. “Your presence here reflects a dedication to improving our public investment processes,” he said. “Over the next two weeks, you will engage in rigorous training designed to equip you with the necessary tools to make informed financial decisions and effectively analyze risks associated with public investments.”

Joseph Ahaisibwe from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development noted that the programme integrates the different modules of the appraisal such as demand/market analysis, technical and environment analysis, financial, economic and risk analysis so as to ensure a 360⁰ degree view and avoid most of the challenges that have in the past resulted into project delays. He noted that, the programme has started yielding results through increased number of projects being appraised from 10% in 2016 to now over 80% in 2024. “This performance raises hope that as more participants are trained, the dividends will be more to Government”. Joseph noted. He implored participants to pay keen attention and utilize the faculty members to the maximum so that as they go back to their places of work, there is value to add.

Participants hail from a range of organizations, including the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), the National Planning Authority (NPA), the Uganda Police, the Ministry of ICT, as well as Muni University and Makerere University. This diverse representation underscores the collaborative effort required to enhance public sector capabilities.

The training program promises to be both challenging and rewarding, setting the stage for the development of a skilled workforce ready to tackle the complexities of public investment management in Uganda. As the programme unfolds, participants will not only gain valuable knowledge but also contribute to the overarching goal of fostering sustainable economic growth for the country.

The Department of Population Studies on 19th September 2024 hosted Ms. Rosemary Kisembo the Excecutive Director of the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), for highly informative guest lecture attended by students from Year 1 to Graduate level. The event, focused on the importance of civil registration in Uganda, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.9: Legal Identity for All.

Dr. Peter Kisaakye initiated the session by welcoming the students and introducing the Principal of CoBAMS, who expressed gratitude to students for their academic commitment. Dr. Allen Kabagenyi, Head of the Department of Population Studies, gave an insightful overview of the department’s academic programs and the integral role of civil registration in research and societal development. She emphasized the department’s values of Integrity, Professionalism, Collaboration, Accountability, and Innovation, while highlighting the department’s five academic programmes, including Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programs in Population Studies.

The highlight of the day was the keynote address by Ms. Rosemary Kisembo, Executive Director of NIRA. Ms. Kisembo discussed the significance of civil registration in Uganda and shared national statistics that underscored the urgent need to increase registration rates. She outlined the key components of civil registration, namely that it must be Compulsory, Continuous, Universal, and Permanent (CCUP), while drawing parallels between human life cycles and crucial civil events like births and deaths.

Ms. Kisembo also shared the latest national identification registration statistics, revealing that 59.7% of Uganda’s population is currently registered, while 41.3% remain unregistered. She encouraged students to become advocates for universal registration, noting that the absence of such data negatively impacts future investments in various sectors, including political, economic, and social development.

The session featured an engaging question-and-answer segment, followed by closing remarks from Dr. Patricia Ndugga and the Deputy Principal, Prof. James Wokadala. Prof. Wokadala extended his appreciation to NIRA for their collaboration and called for a formal partnership between the two institutions, with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate joint research and staff exchanges.

The guest lecture was a resounding success, reinforcing the critical role of civil registration in national development and providing students with invaluable insights into its practical applications.