First Lady welcomes youth cybersecurity training programme

KAMPALA - The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Mrs. Janet Museveni, has partnered with Deborah's Impact Projects Africa and the Africa World Training Centre to provide cybersecurity training for Ugandan youth.

The training programme aims to enrol 200,000 individuals, addressing cybercrime and the cyber-talent shortage while reducing youth unemployment. 

It will also create high-value jobs, build a competitive workforce, and promote entrepreneurship and skills development.

On Wednesday (January 15, 2025), the First Lady met with Apostle Isi Igenegba, Founder and Executive Director of Deborah's Impact Projects Africa (DIPA), Sandrah Namwaya, Head of Strategy Development and Operations and Africa World Training Center’s (AWTC) founders Augustine Degorl and Valeria Saucedo.

The team visited the First Lady at State House Nakasero to discuss collaboration opportunities for implementing this technology education initiative in Uganda.

"This sounds good and very interesting," Mrs. Museveni acknowledged. "We just have to plan for areas we need to start with and make sure to have different programmes for the respective levels of education so that we give the children what they deserve."

She announced that the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) Uganda and the two organizations would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch the programme. "We pray that God leads us to make a breakthrough that will speak volumes."

Mrs. Museveni expressed gratitude to Apostle Isi Igenegba for her dedication to Uganda. "Please know that we value your love for Uganda and involving us in whatever you do, and we are ready and willing to come alongside you and see how far we can go with this programme."

Apostle Isi Igenegba explained that Deborah's Impact Projects Africa, an arm of the Mantle of Deborah, serves as a strategic grassroots enrolment and community outreach partner for technology education across Africa.

In partnership with AWTC, they aim to train millions of young women in cybersecurity, bridging the gap between world-class technology education and untapped community potential.

She highlighted that cybersecurity has become one of today's most sought-after solutions. The partnership between DIPA, AWTC, and OAFLAD will benefit Uganda's youth through technology education, skills development, job creation, economic empowerment, international partnerships, and sustainable community development.

Apostle Isi Igenegba commended Mrs. Janet Museveni for her heart towards Uganda's youth and people.

AWTC leaders, Augustine Degorl and Valeria Saucedo, outlined their programmes, which include entrepreneurship training, in-house opportunities, and global job placement.

The programme will prepare youth to work with international companies at global standards.

Foreign companies can outsource cybersecurity work to Uganda through dedicated centers. 

Top graduates will become in-house trainers for future professionals, while others may work in-house on cybersecurity solutions or as independent contractors serving global clients.

They noted that Uganda's demographics—with 75% of its population under 30 and a 13.3% unemployment rate—make it an ideal destination for their existing Asian and American partnerships.

The initiative will begin with 5,000 promising young people, particularly women, who will become trainers of trainers.

Beat Bisangwa, OAFLAD-Uganda's Executive Director, endorsed the programme for its potential to equip youth with essential life and IT skills that are globally in demand, creating opportunities both locally and internationally.

"This program will definitely work well in Uganda because we have a network of brilliant young people," Bisangwa emphasized.

"We are not short of young people who will enrol because we have a network of schools, out-of-school youth, universities, and the Emerging Leaders programme at Makerere University, which we can engage."