Overview:
A state-of-the-art coding hub is inaugurated in Uganda, preparing girls in the Rwenzori region for tech-driven careers and boosting sustainable development goals.
FORT PORTAL, Uganda — UN Women and partner organizations inaugurated a new technology hub Wednesday in the Rwenzori sub-region, a move aimed at closing Uganda’s digital gender gap by teaching coding and essential information and communications technology skills to young women.
The African Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) ICT Hub, located at Kyebambe Girls’ Secondary School in Fort Portal, is equipped with 60 computers. It will serve as a training, innovation and mentorship center to prepare young women for careers in science, technology and innovation. This is the second regional AGCCI hub in Uganda.
Ms. Adekemi Ndieli, the UN Women Uganda Deputy Country Representative, stressed the importance of the initiative at the inauguration.
“When girls are given access to technology and opportunity, they do not just participate—they lead,” Ndieli said. “The AGCCI hubs are ensuring that no girl is left behind in Uganda’s digital transformation.”
The AGCCI program, implemented in partnership with the African Union Commission and the International Telecommunication Union, has trained more than 2,000 girls across Africa since 2018. Recent evaluations of the program show that girls who had never used a computer are now coding and designing websites.
Ndieli said the expansion will strengthen mentorship networks and foster partnerships to institutionalize digital learning.
“The future of Uganda’s innovation ecosystem depends on investing in girls’ digital skills,” Ndieli added. “Today’s inauguration is more than an event—it is a commitment to building a more inclusive, tech-driven future for all.”