Sylvia Mulinge, CEO, MTN Uganda.

MTN Uganda's flagship youth development programme seeks to provide digital skills to 8,000 youths and launch 150 start-ups over the next three years.

This follows the launch of the second phase of the MTN Ace program, which complements Uganda's ambition to transition to a fully digital economy while also addressing unemployment in the East African country.

The campaign, which will be carried out in collaboration with the government and other private sector organizations, is aimed at new graduates, individuals in and out of school, aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs, and technology-driven start-ups.

MTN Uganda's chief executive officer, Sylvia Mulinge, stated that the MTN Ace is in support of Uganda's digital transformation roadmap.

“We believe by improving digital literacy and innovation, we are contributing to the nation’s vision of becoming a digitally-empowered economy,” she said.

Mulinge spoke during the program's launch on Tuesday in the Nakawa neighborhood of Kampala, Uganda's capital.

The Centenary Group is one of the partners, and its chief technology officer, Peter Kahigi, encouraged female youth to take advantage of the opportunity and enroll.

"In the ICT sector, there are many powerful women in senior positions. It requires more leadership tomorrow, or else the men will do it," he stated.

Joyce Ssebugwawo, Minister of Information and Communication Technology and National Guidance, welcomed the start of the second MTN Ace phase.

"We believe in the power of entrepreneurship to create a positive social and economic impact in our communities," she stated while presiding over the event.