Kampala, (UG): The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Uganda, H.E Majid Saffar, has urged Uganda to invest more in modern technology to boost the transformation of its economy.
Some of the specific areas of investment according to Mr Saffar include artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and biotechnology.
The Ambassador made the remarks on Wednesday, January 31st 2024, at the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) of NRM in Kyambogo, Kampala where he flagged off 70 Ugandan students bound for Tehran where they will pursue university studies in different disciplines.
The students who qualified for the scholarships offered by the Iranian government in partnership with the ONC will study at the Ahlul Bayt International University in Tehran, Iran’s capital.
Ambassador Saffar encouraged the students to focus on their education and return with skills to develop Uganda. He also assured the students that they would not be abandoned.
He further underlined the importance of technology as a driver of economic growth and development the world over and pledged Iran’s support and expertise in helping Uganda to achieve this goal.
“We believe that investing in modern technology is key to unlocking Uganda’s economic potential. Iran is willing to share its knowledge and experience in this field to help Uganda transform its economy and improve the lives of its people.”
On her part, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Political Affairs, who also heads ONC, Hajjat Hadijah Namayalo Uzeiye thanked the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for giving Ugandans scholarships.
“Uganda has been working to improve its technology sector but faces challenges such as limited resources and infrastructure. We are very grateful to Iran for this assistance in the field of the most wanting area of our economy,” Namyalo said.
She added; “We are eager to learn from Iran’s experience in using technology to drive economic growth. We believe that with the right partnerships and investments, we can transform our economy and create new opportunities for our people.”
The ONC boss urged the students to live responsibly while in Iran, saying it is an opportunity for them to better their lives in addition to receiving education.
Meanwhile, Hajjat Namyalo and Saffar also discussed other areas of cooperation, including trade, agriculture, and education, and invited Ugandan businessmen to invest in Iran and take advantage of the country’s large market and resources.
The Chief Muzzukulu further extended an invitation to Iranian businesses to invest in Uganda’s agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
Esther Nankinga, the coordinator of the scholarships programme at the ONC, urged the Ugandan scholarship beneficiaries to take their studies in Iran seriously.
“You need to respect the cultures of the country where you are going. When you misbehave, the country will be questionable and that can spoil our image to the outside world,” she warned.
Nankinga told this website that 19 of the 70 students who will be flying out to Iran this weekend are girls, and the rest (51) are boys.
Commenting on the disparity in the ratio of girls to boys, Nankinga said; “this needs to be addressed, especially when we are encouraging women to study and enter into the market economy as initiated by the NRM government”.
Do you have a story or an opinion to share? Email us on: dailyexpressug@gmail.com Or follow the Daily Express on X Platform or WhatsApp for the latest updates.
