By Patrick Opio
Senior Communications Officer
Minister of Science, Technology and Innovations (STI), Hon. Dr. Musenero has urged universities to spearhead innovations to drive the national economy positively.
Musenero stated that Innovation in Uganda offers numerous benefits to its citizens, primarily by boosting economic growth, creating jobs, and improving the quality of life.
She was delivering her key note address at Lira University First Annual Research Dissemination, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Exhibition Conference held at Faculty of Education Block, Lira University on 25th April 2025.
If handled effectively, Musenero said, innovation can lead to increased productivity, reduced costs, and the development of new markets, fostering a more resilient and diversified economy. “Universities and Ugandans must embrace innovations to address local challenges, improve access to resources, and empower individuals to solve their own problems,” she adds.
“We were partially doing community service but not doing community transformation, but I think we are moving towards that end by involving in serious research and innovations,” Dr Musenero explains.
According to Dr Musenero, research should be done with aim to achieve national development with universities focusing on community transformation, knowledge translated into development.
The Minister urged universities to collaborate with industries for realizing innovation dreams adding that financial constraints shape the activity of innovators in Uganda.
Lira University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jasper Ogwal Okeng decried the meager research funding from Government. “Other universities got sh1 billion each while Lira University was given only sh500 million, not enough to fund research and innovations at the university,” Prof Ogwal Okeng said.
Prof. Ogwal Okeng added that innovators were often uncertain about the process of bringing about a new technology successfully and they find that the process is a risky one with many unknowns and lack of money to support the innovation drives.
The Vice Chancellor noted that there are opportunities for potential success of innovations in the following areas: making better use of natural resources, technology for improving access to information, import replacement with products that are better adapted to local constraints, among others.
Assoc. Prof. Omech Bernard, the Director of Graduate Training and Research, revealed that the conference held for three days ( 23rd – 25th April 2025) was successful due to team work exhibited by Management and staff.
He adds that the Conference was a landmark event under the theme: “Bridging the Gaps: The role of Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in National Social and Economic Transformation”
This conference, Dr Omech says, marks an exciting chapter in our journey toward transforming knowledge into impact. Over the course of the three days, we bring together researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, students, policymakers, and community leaders to explore how academic research and innovation can drive sustainable development and socio-economic transformation.
The conference was comprised of engaging exhibitions, thought-provoking discussions, and inspiring presentations aimed at showcasing cutting-edge research that addresses real-world challenges, promoting entrepreneurial thinking and foster innovation, create strategic linkages between academia, industry, and communities,empower the next generation of leaders and changemakers.
