NITA-U

About the Awards

A National Recognition Festival, Aligned to NDP IV ATMS

Convened by NITA-U and aligned to the National Development Plan IV ATMS growth strategy (Agro-industrialisation, Tourism, Minerals, Science, Technology & Innovation), citizens experience eGov services, telcos and innovators live, free of charge, with the National Tech Skills Talent Programme integrated. The CIO-CxO Digital Leadership Forum is the implementation partner.

Items required to activate the programme

  • NITA-U convenorship and Forum implementation partnership formalised; Awards Committee constituted
  • NITA-U Programme Liaison confirmed (Josephine); Forum implementation leads identified
  • Two-scenario budget within UGX 900M envelope approved by NITA-U
  • Category framework endorsed; delegate fee structure agreed

Public Sector and Private Sector: Recognised Together

Government Track

  • MDAs, local governments, state enterprises and statutory bodies
  • All public sector clusters: Overall Excellence, Citizen Service, Technology
  • NITA-U coordinates outreach via formal circular to all MDAs
  • Evaluation criteria aligned with national e-government standards

Private Sector Track

  • Private companies, startups, BPO/ITES firms, development partners
  • Dedicated private sector cluster (Cluster D) and shared categories
  • CIO-CxO Forum coordinates outreach through its member network
  • Nominees must be Uganda-registered with operational, verifiable services

Shared Categories

  • Cybersecurity and Digital Trust: both sectors
  • Digital Inclusion and Last-Mile Access: both sectors
  • Public-Private Digital Partnership: joint nominees
  • Leadership, Young Trailblazer, Sector-Specific: both sectors

Regional Track

  • All four regions: Northern, Eastern, Western, Central Uganda
  • Government and private sector nominees from each region
  • Regional recognition delivered at the national ceremony in Kampala
  • Nominees from all regions submit through the same national portal

Retained from 2021, New for 2026

The proven 2021 platform, carried forward, then scaled through private-sector co-ownership and regional reach.

Retained · Evaluation Rigour

  • Independent quality assurance (Ernst & Young, 2021)
  • Structured, criteria-based evaluation
  • Jury-led adjudication with minuted decisions
  • National awards ceremony as the centrepiece

New · Private-Sector Co-Ownership

  • CIO-CxO Digital Leadership Forum joins as co-partner
  • Private-sector credibility, networks and reach
  • Shared governance and co-funding
  • 2021 was delivered by NITA-U alone

Retained · Reach & Credibility

  • 150+ Government CIOs engaged
  • 9M+ media impressions in 2021
  • 5,000+ participants reached
  • NITA-U statutory backing and mandate

New · Regional Reach & Scale

  • Three regional recognition circuits
  • Expanded to 35+ award categories
  • Sponsorship and revenue model
  • Delegate participation from across the country

Lean Governance

NITA-U leads, the Forum supports implementation. The secretariat and technical committee are one working body, with no duplication of structures.

Lead Convenor

NITA-U

National Information Technology Authority Uganda. Statutory mandate, institutional authority, MDA access and e-government credibility.

Implementation Partner

CIO-CxO Digital Leadership Forum

Private sector engagement, events implementation, communications, sponsorship coordination and Forum member outreach.