By Our Staff Reporter

ADJUMANI, Uganda –
Leaders in the Madi sub-region have called on the State House to establish Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratories and introduce computer-related courses at the Madi Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub, saying digital skills have become essential for young people to compete in today’s job market and create sustainable businesses.

The appeal was made during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting held at the Madi Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub in Adjumani District on Friday, July 31. The facility serves trainees from the districts of Moyo, Adjumani and Obongi.

Speaking during the meeting, the Resident District Commissioner for Moyo and Chairperson of the Madi Zonal Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub Board, Geoffrey Filbert Ocaliap, said vocational education should go beyond traditional trades by integrating digital literacy into the training curriculum.

He noted that equipping trainees with computer skills alongside practical vocational training would prepare them for opportunities in Uganda’s growing digital economy while enabling them to research new technologies and expand their businesses.

Ocaliap described the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs as life-changing institutions that provide free vocational education and qualifications equivalent to the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), giving vulnerable youth a second chance to build productive careers.

He urged local leaders to intensify community mobilisation so that more young people can enrol in the programme, noting that graduates are increasingly securing employment, including recruitment into the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) as skilled personnel.

The Board Chairperson also highlighted the role of the hub’s Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation (SACCO) in supporting graduates after completing their training. He revealed that the SACCO had received Shs150 million, with each of the three beneficiary districts allocated Shs50 million to finance youth-led enterprises.

However, he expressed concern over limited funding for district committees and SACCO leaders responsible for monitoring beneficiaries, saying inadequate facilitation could undermine effective implementation of the programme.

Representing the State House Comptroller, Special Presidential Assistant on Political Affairs Godfrey Longa commended leaders in the region for supporting the Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs initiative and encouraged them to continue mobilising young people to embrace vocational training.

Longa disclosed that President Yoweri Museveni had released Shs8.8 billion to SACCOs attached to Presidential Industrial Skilling Hubs across the country to provide start-up capital for graduates.

He said the funding is intended to help beneficiaries establish businesses, create employment opportunities and improve household incomes, urging district leaders to closely monitor the utilisation of the funds to ensure they achieve their intended purpose.

According to Longa, at least 121 graduates from the Madi sub-region have already received financial support, with more expected to benefit as verification of applicants continues.

He explained that the screening process is necessary to promote transparency and accountability before funds are released.

Longa also revealed that the State House has expanded value-addition infrastructure at the Madi hub through the construction of a grain milling plant, an animal feed processing factory and modern grain silos with a storage capacity of 500 metric tonnes. He encouraged communities to embrace commercial agriculture to ensure the facilities operate efficiently and contribute to regional economic growth.

On student discipline, he called on district selection committees to admit only committed trainees capable of completing the programme, noting that some participants had previously dropped out before returning to seek readmission.

The meeting also featured testimonies from graduates who said the programme had transformed their lives.

Rehema Jamila, a tailoring graduate from Moyo District, said financial support from the hub SACCO enabled her to purchase a sewing machine and materials to establish her tailoring business, which now employs other people and supports her family.

Another beneficiary, Amacha William from Adjumani District, said the programme helped him abandon illegal fishing after training in bakery and confectionery. With financial assistance from the hub SACCO, he established a bakery business that now employs six workers, has trained more than 20 people in baking skills, and supplies bread and mandazi across Moyo, Adjumani and Obongi districts.

The Presidential Industrial Skilling Hub programme, implemented under the Office of the State House Comptroller, provides free vocational training, accommodation, meals and start-up capital to vulnerable youth. The initiative is aimed at equipping young Ugandans with employable skills, promoting entrepreneurship and supporting the country’s socio-economic transformation.