New Innovation Hub targets Uganda’s insurance skills gap

Service Cops Limited has signed a strategic partnership with the Insurance Training College to establish an innovation hub aimed at accelerating digital transformation and skills development within Uganda’s insurance sector.

The partnership, unveiled in Kampala on May 19, will establish the ITC–Service Cops Innovation Hub, a five-year programme designed to bridge the gap between traditional insurance operations and emerging financial technologies.

Officials said the initiative will train between 50 and 100 professionals over the implementation period through specialised technical and insurance-focused programmes.

Under the arrangement, the programme will run annually as a nine-month intensive training experience targeting professionals with technology and insurance backgrounds.

Service Cops Limited will finance the initiative and provide enterprise technical training in areas such as software development, insurance technology and digital financial solutions.

Meanwhile, ITC will provide insurance-focused training, oversee curriculum development, certification and coordination with regulators including the Insurance Regulatory Authority of Uganda to ensure compliance with industry standards.

Officials said the partnership will be reviewed after five years to assess its impact and determine whether the arrangement will be renewed or expanded.

Speaking during the launch, Joseph Ndiho, Executive Chairman of Service Cops Limited, said the programme is intended to strengthen insurance technology capacity in Uganda and across Africa.

“This programme reflects our commitment to advancing insurance technology in Uganda and Africa at large,” Mr Ndiho said.

“As active participants in the digital journey of insurance in Uganda, we are convinced that the growth of insurance penetration in Africa and other emerging markets shall largely be driven through digitisation,” he added.

Mr Mathias Kamugasho, the Managing Director of Service Cops Limited, described the Innovation Hub as a long-term investment in the future of Africa’s insurance industry.

“Through our partnership with the Insurance Training College, we are building a scalable model to develop skilled professionals and innovative insurance solutions that can be replicated across the continent,” Mr Kamugasho said.

He added that the company wants Africa to emerge not only as a consumer of financial technology but also as a contributor to global innovation.

Mr Saul Sseremba, the Chief Executive Officer and Principal of ITC, said the partnership would help address existing technology gaps within the insurance sector.

“We welcome this partnership with Service Cops Limited that is united by a shared vision for the future of insurance in the region,” Mr Sseremba said.

“This Innovation Hub, hosted at ITC, will fill technological gaps and leverage the vast potential of our sector,” he added.

The Innovation Hub will also support research, collaboration, internships and industry placements as both institutions seek to strengthen Uganda’s innovation ecosystem and accelerate adoption of digital solutions within the insurance and broader financial services sectors.

Industry officials say the initiative could contribute toward improving Uganda’s insurance penetration rate, which has remained at about one percent for several years despite continued growth in the financial services industry.