Julius Njuguna Co-Founder, E&M Technology speaks at the Equity Leaders Program Innovation Hub rollout
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Fifty scholars under the Equity Leaders Program (ELP), courtesy of the biggest banks in the region – Equity Bank, are due to travel to Nairobi for a six-month fellowship.
“The six-month technology and innovation training will help to uplift the scholar’s skills as they shape their creative and critical thinking abilities to drive positive change,” reads a recently issued statement.
It further said the beneficiaries are set to meet 400 of their counterparts in Nairobi, Kenya, in a program aimed at equipping young people with the skills and knowledge to lead Africa towards a more innovative and resilient future.
“Equity Group Holdings invests in the continent’s ability to nurture the next generation of African innovators that overcome challenges and thrive in adversity by investing in the youth,” further reads the statement.
The Group is set focus on the Africa Resilience and Recovery Plan which requires technologically able young minds to develop tools that address banking sector challenges and solve problems for the future of Africa.
LOAN APPLICATION UNVEILED
Under this very campaign, Equity Group has funded several local innovations, one of which is the Staff Circle Digital Loan Application.
The application, an initiative of young, ambitious innovators, was developed to solve the problem of the current loan application process, which is quite tedious due to a lot of paperwork
“Staff members had problems associated with loan applications. With this tool, they can apply for loans in a more simplified way right on their phones,’’ says Nicole Mukyala, an ELP scholar from Uganda.
The new innovations are being developed under the Equity Group Innovation Hub.
“This is under our transformative Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP) aimed at digitising value chains for 100 million customers. The initiative requires a pool of skilled technical talent and innovators,” further reads the Equity Group release.
Mukyala said at the end of the program, she expects to become a certified software developer, “as we have learnt how to code and develop programs.”
She said part of the recent ELP Innovation Hub rollout training program has helped her attain an understanding of innovation and technology in Uganda.
In July this year, a tech company started by ELP Alumnus Eliud Njogu and Julius Njuguna, unveiled the Innovation Hub rollout in Kampala for university students under the Equity Leaders Program (ELP).
This partnership between Equity Bank and E&M Technology seeks to equip students with the necessary skills in technology and innovation.
Through the program, Equity Group shows its commitment to fostering innovation that leads to new ideas, solutions, and technologies that increase impact and scale.
“The 2030 Strategy Framework, where Strategy 1 is the Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan with Pillar 6, which focuses on technology and enabled ecosystems, aims to digitally connect 100 million customers,” says the statement.
Josephat Enanya, an ELP alumnus from Kenya, says his experience has been quite transformative.
‘’I transitioned from a background in business to the tech world. I joined this program out of curiosity and in need to understand how the tech industry works and how I can provide solutions to the problems faced in our community today,” he said in a recent interview.
He added that his ELP experience has helped him transition from being a business management professional to a back-end software developer.
Enanya said the ELPs in Kenya have led to the development of real-life solutions that address the financial challenges faced by the Kenyan society, which are making a significant difference in people’s lives.
Sam Bwaya, the board director at Equity Group Foundation (EGF) recently urged the Equity Leaders Program (ELP) Scholars to be innovative and drive the future with the help of technology to create an impact in their lives and communities.
He said they intend to digitise value chains for 100 million customers, a move which requires a pool of skilled technical talent and innovators.
Speaking to 40 exceptional university students who attended the weeklong transformative training and mentorship at the Equity Bank innovation hub Rollout at Eureka Place Hotel in Ntinda recently, he encouraged the young people to stand out and provide technological solutions to evolving life challenges and needs.
Established in 1998, the Equity Leaders Program (ELP) is a rigorous leadership development initiative for top-performing students and has benefited over 24,000 scholars across the East Africa region.
Its goal is to create a community of transformative leaders who work together across borders and various sectors to drive sustainable economic growth and social progress in Africa.
The program also aims to empower young, academically gifted scholars by supporting their access to education in global universities. ELP has since sent five (5) scholars from Uganda and over 900 scholars from other Equity Group subsidiaries to prestigious universities such as MIT, Yale, Harvard, and Princeton.
