The Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance (Information), Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo, on Wednesday officially launched Uganda’s National Data Strategy 2026/27–2030/31 at Mestil Hotel in Kampala, describing it as more than a policy document but a shared national framework for managing, protecting, sharing and using data to drive development.
“Today, we are not simply launching a document. We are setting a shared direction for how Uganda can better manage, protect, share and use data to drive national development,” Ssebugwawo told a gathering of government officials, development partners, private-sector leaders, academics and civil society representatives.
She described data as “a strategic national asset” that, when properly governed, can support evidence-based decision-making, improve public service delivery, promote innovation and create opportunities for economic growth.
Developed by the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, with technical support from UN Global Pulse and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the strategy is built on three pillars: data governance, data infrastructure and strategic data utilisation. These are supported by two key enablers: people and culture, and research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The strategy aligns with Uganda Vision 2040, the Digital Uganda Vision and the Digital Transformation Roadmap. It is also intended to support the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) and its ambition of achieving tenfold economic growth.
Speaking at the launch, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Aminah Zawedde, described the occasion as a decisive turning point in how the country approaches data.
“Today marks a decisive milestone where Uganda shifts from treating data as a passive administrative byproduct to wielding it as a strategic national economic asset,” she said.
Zawedde noted that the strategy was developed following extensive national consultations, including peer reviews with the Forum of Permanent Secretaries and formal validation by 131 state and non-state organisations.
She linked the strategy to NDP IV’s ambition of expanding Uganda’s gross domestic product (GDP) from US$50 billion to US$500 billion over 15 years. She said the effective use of accurate and reliable data in the country’s priority sectors would be essential to achieving that goal.
These sectors include agro-industrialisation, tourism, minerals, oil and gas, and science, technology and innovation (ATMS).
The National Data Strategy establishes several targets to be achieved by the 2030/31 financial year.
Among them is increasing the number of government platforms integrated through the Uganda Government Integration Hub (Ug-Hub) from 135 to 300. The strategy also aims to raise the proportion of NDP IV indicators supported by verifiable data from 36 per cent to 80 per cent.
In addition, the government plans to establish two Tier IV data centres with a combined sovereign data storage capacity of 10 petabytes.
The strategy also seeks to improve efficiency through shared digital infrastructure and locally developed digital solutions.
Implementation is estimated to cost shs1,662.6 billion over five years. Funding is expected to come primarily through coordinated government budgeting, complemented by non-tax revenue from value-added data services, development-partner support and private-sector co-investment.
Ssebugwawo emphasised that the strategy’s success would depend on effective implementation and called on ministries, departments and agencies, local governments, the private sector, academia and civil society to take ownership of its priorities.
“We must address challenges such as fragmented data systems, inconsistent standards, limited data sharing and inadequate infrastructure,” she said.
She also highlighted the importance of strengthening data literacy, promoting inclusion for women, young people and persons with disabilities, and ensuring the responsible use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).
The minister thanked UN Global Pulse and UNDP for their technical support, as well as the stakeholders who contributed to developing the strategy.
Zawedde reiterated the need for coordinated action, noting that the strategy would also lay the groundwork for Uganda’s planned National AI Strategy.
“Artificial Intelligence is only as intelligent and ethical as the data that feeds it,” she said.
Following the launch, government institutions are expected to translate the strategy’s priorities into practical measures for planning, budgeting and public service delivery, under the coordination of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance.
The strategy is expected to strengthen data governance, improve interoperability across government systems and support the use of reliable data in national planning, service delivery and economic decision-making.