The Youth and Innovation Expo 2023 is expected to showcase a student-inspired fashion show, curated performances from the School of Performing Arts and Film and a showcase of student innovations and exhibitions.
The expo organised by Makerere University and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will be held under the theme, “Fostering Innovation for Uganda’s Transformational Development” in an effort to showcase outstanding youth innovations and youth enterprise.
According to organisers, the expo will run from 5th to 6th October 2023 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility, Makerere University.
The Youth and Innovation Expo 2023 will bring on board a number of activations from its sponsors, Makerere@100 partners, University Internal and External partners such as MTN Uganda, Stanbic Uganda, Bank of Uganda, Absa Bank, Bank of Uganda to mention but a few.
The line-up of activations for the Expo includes; Master classes especially relevant for the youth and students, panel sessions involving regulatory and compliance institutions for innovators, an Art exhibition, a fashion show curated by Axarya Trends and the Margret Trowel School of Fine Art, a medical camp, Food vendor stalls, exhibitions from all ten colleges of the University and other University institutions to mention but a few.
The two-day event will consist of a very comprehensive, insightful, and engaging program with an opening ceremony, a student-inspired fashion show, curated performances from the School of Performing Arts and Film, a showcase of student innovations, exhibitions of Innovations turned enterprises from the Youth4Business program led by UNDP to mention but a few.
The Guest of Honour for the exhibition will be Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament. The conference program and master classes will broadcast live on social media platforms and various media platforms among the nation’s leading daily.
In 2020, the President of Uganda H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni launched the Youth4Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship Facility (Y4BF).
The programme was developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with Stanbic Bank Uganda to address the problem of youth unemployment in Uganda.
The Facility was designed to respond to the effects of COVID-19 and beyond by driving socioeconomic transformation. This facility has been implemented through the combination of innovation, creating jobs and fostering entrepreneurship by supporting access to an integrated mix of finance products, business management skills and market access to young women and men entrepreneurs and youth-owned MSMEs.
Through this program, UNDP has directly supported over 400 youth businesses and indirectly impacted over 6,000 youth through partnerships and outreach programs with partners like BRAC and the National Association of Student Enterprises (NASE Africa).
The Youth and Innovation Expo 2023 is sponsored by the United Nations Development Fund and MTN Uganda with Start Hub Africa as the curator for all the knowledge sessions in the two-day Expo.