By Our Reporter
MTN Uganda has pledged its commitment to support Makerere University’s centenary celebrations through a sponsorship worth UGX180million.
The sponsorship by MTN will be dedicated towards supporting the events organized by Makerere University in celebration of 100 years of its existence which include an exhibition showcasing the journey of Makerere at 100.
The exhibition which is scheduled to take place from 27th September to 10th October, 2022 at the Freedom Square, Makerere University will be held under the theme: “A Century of Service to Humanity.”
Speaking during the announcement ceremony held at MTN Headquarters, Somdev Sen, the MTN Uganda Chief Marketing Officer said as one of the leading employers in the country, MTN has taken the opportunity to appreciate the esteemed institution for its contribution to educating a sizeable population in the job market.
“This support to Makerere University is also very important to MTN as it is synonymous with our core values anchored on empowering and skilling youth to achieve sustainable societies, which is a key pillar of our organization strategy,” he said.
The commitment by MTN follows a stakeholder mobilization event organized by Makerere University in November 2021 during which a strategy for rallying key stakeholders to support and participate in the year-long anniversary celebration was launched.
Opening its doors to 14-day students in 1922, Makerere University has grown to become one of the most prestigious learning institutions in Africa.
In his remarks, Prof. Henry Alinaitwe the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Makerere University, who was representing the Vice-Chancellor, Makerere University, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe lauded MTN for its support, noting that the company’s dedication to supporting youth in Uganda was of mutual interest to the institution.
“Makerere University welcomes MTN Uganda’s support through this partnership that will benefit both the students at Makerere University and the youth in Uganda as a whole. This gesture acknowledges that you cannot talk about Uganda’s development and socio-economic transformation without involving the youth. Makerere and MTN are both in the business of giving the youth a platform to achieve their full potential. This partnership will therefore inspire our students and the youth in general to innovate and contribute significantly to the transformation of Uganda,” he said.
Professor Alinaitwe highlighted that the sponsorship from MTN Uganda is aligned to the Makerere University’s strategic plan (2020-2030), focused on making the institution research-intensive. “MTN Uganda’s support to the Makerere@100 exhibition will in addition to enhancing the visibility of our research and innovations attract more partners from the private sector and business community to bolster our efforts to commercialize these research outputs.” Professor Alinaitwe noted.
MTN Uganda for years has championed progress of the youth through various initiatives aimed at galvanizing their creative and entrepreneurial spirit with the most recent being the Nsindika Njake youth entrepreneurship show currently airing on NBS TV. The exhilarating show mentors young people by equipping them with practical business and technical skills with the goal of enabling job creators to curb youth unemployment.