NGO trains entrepreneurs on digital economy
GULU– Pollicy, a feminist-led civic organization focused on influencing a data culture, promoting the use of shared data platforms, building analytical capacity, and advocating for digital rights and improved data, has launched the training for entrepreneurs and innovators on digital economy.
Digital economy is an economic activity that results from billions of everyday online connections among people, businesses, devices, data, and processes.
The training of innovators and entrepreneurs was launched on Friday in Gulu City at the Innovation Village for enhancing the digital economy.
The Pollicy Program Director Gilbert Beyamba told theCooperator in an interview that the initiative was launched to enhance the capacity of the youth to explore the opportunities in the digital economy.
He explained that data plays a big role in decision-making on markets, research, and service delivery which, he said the business community in the country has not ventured into to improve the economy.
At least 60 entrepreneurs and innovators which comprised University students, civil society, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and farmers were trained in Gulu.
“We have a target to train about 300 of these innovators in the Country and we hope that the group can pass these skills to the others so that they can start making money from data rather than misusing it,” Beyamba.
The Executive Director of Gender Tech Initiative Uganda, Ruth Atim expressed concern about the high of the Internet in Uganda, which she said is deterring the country’s youth from engaging in the digital economy.
“In many of the rural places, there is no Internet. The high cost of the Internet itself is a barrier to the country’s growth of the digital economy,” Atim said.
Gulu University’s third-year student of Agri-Business and Communication Management, Joan Bikara noted that the high cost of the Internet is affecting her research and innovation.
Patrick Hamza Okello, a computer science graduate who is developing an artificial intelligence mobile phone application for soil test and analysis, has similarly complained about the high Internet cost.
Okello explained that his motivation for the development of the application was derived from the period of lockdown when farmers were disconnected from the extension workers and the markets.
The ‘soilia-ia’ application, which he said is due for launch in the next eight months may face challenges since many of the farmers may not afford to pay multiple taxes for the Internet services.
He explained that once the application is launched, the farmers will only need to install the application on their smartphones to have soil samples analysed electronically on phone.
“The farmers will be able to know which type of the soil, its texture, and the chemical properties in the soil to guide them on what particular crop to grow,” Okello disclosed on Friday in an interview.
Meanwhile, Gulu District Local Government LCV Chairman, Christopher Opiyo Ateker has appealed to the government to establish ICT infrastructure in the rural areas to support the livelihoods of the people.
Opiyo explained that the lack of infrastructures for technological advancement is affecting the implementation of the Parish Development Model on data and communication management.
https://thecooperator.news/gou-psfu-mak-promote-feedlot-technology-to-boost-livestock-production/
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