By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
NATIONAL
Uganda has been urged to invest in technology, research and young people simultaneously if it is to harness its youthful population and accelerate sustainable development.
Speaking ahead of World Population Day, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) country director, Kristine Blokhus, said this year’s theme, “Unlocking the Potential of Uganda’s Population Through Technology and Research to Drive Sustainable Development,” underscores the need to ensure innovation directly benefits the country’s young people.
Blokhus said Uganda’s youthful population presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, noting that 73% of the country’s nearly 50 million people are below the age of 30.
“Technology and research are not ends in themselves. They are ways of achieving Uganda’s development goals. As we invest in technology and research, we must also invest in young people through health, education, skills and jobs,” she said.
She warned that failure to match technological investments with investments in human capital would undermine Uganda’s demographic dividend.
Blokhus expressed concern over teenage pregnancies, saying Uganda loses about 24% of its teenage girls annually to early pregnancies and school dropouts.
“An unplanned pregnancy at a young age can interrupt a girl’s education, limit her career prospects and trap her in poverty. Delaying childbearing gives girls the opportunity to complete school, gain skills and contribute fully to national development,” she said.
She reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to supporting the Government in ensuring every young Ugandan realises their potential.
The State Minister for Finance in charge of Planning, Amos Lugoloobi, said Uganda’s biggest challenge is not population size but productivity.
“The issue before Uganda is not whether we have enough people. The issue is whether our people are sufficiently productive, skilled, innovative, healthy and employed to drive economic transformation,” Lugoloobi said.
He said Uganda’s 2024 National Population and Housing Census put the country’s population at 45.9 million, with about 73% below 30 years.
Lugoloobi said Government aims to grow the economy from about $53.7 billion to $500 billion by 2040 under the tenfold growth strategy, adding that technology, research and innovation will be central to achieving that target.
He noted that between 600,000 and 700,000 young Ugandans enter the labour market every year, yet many fail to secure jobs.
According to the minister, about 61% of Ugandan youth are not in employment, education or training, representing nearly five million young people whose productive potential remains untapped.
He called on universities, research institutions, the private sector and local governments to focus on practical innovations that create jobs, increase productivity and reduce poverty, saying research should move beyond libraries and laboratories to directly improve livelihoods in communities.
