Acholi Leaders Advocate for Expansion of Presidential Industrial Hub to Boost Youth Skilling

Local leaders in the Acholi sub-region have called upon President Yoweri Museveni to expand the Acholi Zonal Industrial Hub. The current facility, they argue, is unable to accommodate the increasing number of unemployed young people eager to acquire vocational skills.

This appeal was made during a recent stakeholders’ meeting at the hub. The consensus among leaders was that increasing the hub’s capacity would allow more youth to benefit from the government’s skilling initiatives.

Pader District Woman MP, Lowila CD Oketayot, who had previously lobbied for a second hub, stated her revised position. After assessing the significant investment required for a new facility, she now advocates for expanding the existing one, highlighting its transformative impact on equipping vulnerable communities with practical skills and creating employment.

Christopher Ateker, the outgoing Chairperson of the Acholi Zonal Industrial Hub, lauded the program as highly successful and stressed the importance of transparency in selecting beneficiaries.

In response to the demand, the government announced the introduction of four new vocational courses: plumbing, electrical installation, automobile mechanics, and knitting and weaving. This move is expected to significantly boost the hub’s enrolment capacity, complementing existing courses like carpentry, tailoring, bakery, construction, welding, and shoemaking.

Eng. Raymond Kamugisha, Director of Presidential Projects and Industrial Hubs, also urged local governments to allocate land for common user facilities and value addition centers, which are crucial components of the Presidential Industrial Hubs program. He emphasized the need for these facilities alongside skills training, mindset change, and the four-acre model.

Officials also advised district leaders to ensure that only genuinely interested and committed individuals are recommended for the training programs to maximize the initiative’s effectiveness. Furthermore, they highlighted that the government has allocated Shs50 million to each district to support graduates with startup capital through SACCOs.

The meeting brought together various local government officials, NRM leaders, and representatives from youth, women, and persons with disabilities groups across the Acholi sub-region.

Source: Nile Post