WAKISO, July 21, 2025 — MTN Uganda, in partnership with Smart Girls Foundation, has successfully graduated 298 young people under its flagship ”Girls in Tech” and ”Girls with Tools” programmes. The initiative is aimed at reducing youth unemployment and closing the digital skills gap in one of Africa’s youngest nations.
The 2025 cohort included 248 female youth trained in ICT and digital skills, alongside 50 trainees who were equipped with vocational competencies in traditionally male-dominated trades such as electrical installation, plumbing, and tailoring. These efforts fall under MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy, which seeks to accelerate Africa’s digital transformation and enhance youth empowerment across the continent.
“Today, these graduates prove that change is not only possible; it is happening,” said Juliet Kakayi Nsubuga, Managing Director of Bayobab Uganda, MTN Group’s fibre and digital infrastructure unit. “They are equipped to lead Uganda’s digital future, and we are proud to stand with them on this journey.”
Uganda faces a youth unemployment rate of 16.3 percent, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. The situation is even more challenging for young women, who often face barriers such as limited access to technology, technical skills, and financing.
Since 2019, MTN Uganda and Smart Girls Foundation have trained over 1,100 young people, the majority being female, in ICT and digital literacy, and an additional 116 in vocational skills. The programme supports Uganda’s Vision 2040, the Fourth National Development Plan (NDPIV), and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those focusing on education, innovation, and gender equality.
“This partnership has scaled significantly over the past few years,” said Jamila Mayanja, Founder of Smart Girls Foundation. “We started with 30 girls in mechanics. Today, we’re talking about hundreds of young women stepping into high-potential sectors like tech and energy.”
Graduands shared powerful testimonials. Nicholas Otim, an ICT trainee, said, “I now have the confidence and technical knowledge to launch my own digital skills training centre for youths in my community.”
Similarly, Maria Nakibule, a plumbing graduate, described the programme as life-changing, noting that it gave her a “clearer path to income and independence.”
Government officials present at the graduation commended the initiative’s alignment with national priorities.
“What we’re seeing here is not just training; it’s transformation,” said Maria Lubega, Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Kasangati Town Council, Wakiso district. “This is the kind of public-private effort that can shift the narrative for our youth.”
MTN’s investment in these initiatives—alongside others such as the MTN Ace Programme and the MTN Skills Academy—reinforces its commitment to digital inclusion, ensuring that young Ugandans, especially women, are not left behind in the fast-growing digital economy.
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