The Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Dr. Gen Moses Ali, has praised President Museveni for his steadfast leadership in assisting society in finding answers to real-life difficulties facing Ugandans, such as young unemployment, which remains a severe challenge.

“We owe His Excellency the President a debt of appreciation for this watershed moment in the ongoing search for real solutions to the difficulties confronting Ugandan youth today, primarily unemployment and a mismatch in skills sought by the market. I applaud him for directing the government to develop projects like these Industrial Hubs to train our young people in areas relevant to the dynamics of what he refers to as the real economy,” Gen. Moses Ali remarked.

On April 19, 2024, Gen. Ali, who is also a Member of Parliament for Adjumani West Constituency, was the Chief Guest at the first graduation ceremony of Madi subregion Industrial Zonal Hub in Adjumani District. Dr. Oboka George, MP for the Madi constituency and vice chairwoman of the Madi Parliamentary Group and West Nile Parliamentary Caucus, read Gen. Ali’s remarks.

A total of 450 students from the first and second intakes, primarily from the districts of Moyo, Adjumani, and Obongi in Madi sub-region, who successfully completed their vocational training, were awarded certificates in seven (7) disciplines: tailoring and design, hairdressing and makeup, building and construction practice, carpentry and joinery, welding and metal fabrications, bakery and confectionery, and leather processing.

According to Gen. Moses Ali, these talents are rarely taught in our traditional school system, but demand for them is growing in Uganda and the larger East African Community (EAC) market.

“Today’s graduation ceremony is the result of the president’s successful initiative to improve the quality of life and livelihoods for our country’s youth. As such, I congratulate the trainees on their graduation. Thank you for responding to the government’s call and embracing the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) economic transformation gospel, which has been tested and proven to meet Uganda’s socioeconomic difficulties. It is my earnest hope that you would put the skills you learned at the Madi Zonal Presidential Industrial Hub to good use; to better your own level of living, the quality of life of your families and the communities from which you hail, and to contribute to national progress,” Gen. Ali said.

The Deputy Leader of Government Business also encouraged young women who had participated in the program to aggressively engage local leadership structures on the ground to guarantee that more girls learned the skills.

“An empowered woman is an empowered community and a pillar for national growth and development. With the practical skills you have gained, I invite you to participate in programs such as the Women Empowerment Fund, Parish Development Model, and others to address the capital challenge that is common in our disadvantaged communities,” Hon. Moses Ali said.

The State House Comptroller, Jane Barekye, praised the Ministry of Education and the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) for making their diplomas lawful and internationally recognized.

“To our skilled children, when going out to work, please be disciplined in order to succeed. And please do not forget your father, President Yoweri Museveni, who ensures that you receive all of this training for free,” Ms. Barekye stated.

According to Deputy Director Assessment and Certification Dr. Michael Okumu, training in the Presidential Skilling Hubs is guided by the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT), and the initiative aimed at the uneducated is consistent with the 2021-2026 NRM Manifesto’s goal of securing Ugandans’ futures through job creation and ensuring prosperity for all.

“The credential is legally recognized within our educational system. This level one certificate is a work-related credential that is equivalent to the Uganda Certificate of Education. “So, you can use this certificate to advance to the formal level of education and improve your skills,” Dr. Okumu explained.

The Woman Member of Parliament for Adjumani, Hon. Ababiku Jessica, also congratulated the graduates and complimented President Museveni for his innovative leadership.

“We are here to celebrate His Excellency the President’s efforts to ensure the well-being of our children through peace talks. I’d like to express my gratitude for all you’ve done. I’d want to thank our children for using this initiative as a ladder to a new life. Congratulations,” Hon. Ababiku stated.

Gore Goffin, chairperson of the Hub Management Committee, addressed the audience that the school has gotten a lot of community support based on the amount of students interested in becoming competent.

“I’m asking to our parents to organize the youth, particularly those who missed out. In the previous intake, we got an extraordinary number of applications. Moyo district alone had almost 800 candidates, and we were meant to choose only 70 or 80 of them. “The industrial hub is producing the skills that Madi requires,” Mr. Gore explained.

Several skilled youths gave success stories and thanked President Museveni for training them.

Gome George from the Obongi district stated that he used to work in agriculture, but it didn’t pay well. He then became adept at baking.

“When I returned, I purchased two packets of baking powder and one liter of cooking oil and began preparing Mandazi, Chapatis, and Samosas. In a week, I was able to earn 60,000 shillings. In the second month, I was able to earn 1.8 million shillings. My consumers come from the neighboring schools and health centers. My long-term goal is to build a local oven because metallic ovens are prohibitively expensive. I’d want to congratulate H.E. the President for this initiative of skilling us,” Gome George stated.

Rehma Jamila from Moyo area, who is skilled in tailoring, informed the guest of honor that she earns 70,000 Uganda shillings every week.

President Museveni oversaw the creation of Industrial Hubs across the country to train youth in various trades. So far, 19 zonal hubs have been operationalized around the country to provide hands-on training, a four-acre model, value-added services, and shared facilities.

Resident District Commissioners from the Madi Region, LC5 Chairpersons, Accounting Officers, and parents all attended the ceremony.