Our mission is to identify, inspire and champion the most impressive pool of enterprising youth, especially those in Vocational Colleges and Universities in Uganda.
Supporting budding entrepreneurs since 2015
There are more young people in the world than ever before, creating unprecedented potential for economic and social progress. Many of these are in developing countries such as Uganda where over 55% of its 41.6 million people are below the age of 18, and over 78% under the age of 30.
Whilst this young population would be a huge boost to economic development, it is a double-edged sword for Uganda where around 80% of these youth are unemployed (World Economic Forum, 2015) â with this rate suspected to be higher for university graduates living in urban areas (Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 2016). Yet still, over 500,000 youths continue to join this Ugandan labour market annually, often unprepared for todayâs world of work.
Ironically, The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), which tracks entrepreneurship activity in 73 countries, ranked Uganda as the most entrepreneurial country in the world with the average entrepreneur in Uganda aged between 18-34 years of age. However, business discontinuation among youth-led business in Uganda is very high with GEM highlighting that Uganda has âan abundance of willing entrepreneurs held back by LIMITED SKILLS and a lack of support from the governmentâ (GEM, 2014). GEM also highlights that most of Ugandaâs small businesses are started out of desperation and necessity, with 62% of entrepreneurs citing, among other reasons, the entrepreneurial skills gap as the main reason for this high business closure.
Uganda is also failed by a colonial education system that has not moved with the times. The GEM report cites that âUgandaâs young people are under-educated and ill-equipped to manage commercial enterprises beyond the one-person start-up phaseâ (Namatovu & Dawa, 2013).
The absence of a robust and well-coordinated skills and enterprise ecosystem, particularly in Higher Education Institutions, has meant that Uganda has remained one of the poorest countries in the world.
This acute unemployment alone, poses serious security, political, economic and social challenges to the countryâs leadership.
Yes, for most of these young folks, their potential is hindered by extreme poverty, poor government policy and sometimes lack of information. But with proper investment in their education and opportunities, these young peopleâs ideas, ideals and innovations could transform their future, and that of their country (UNESCO, 2018).
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The above mentioned challenges are not unique to Uganda.
We feel that the current continental immigration challenges on the African continent could best be solved by supporting these young people, and equipping them with the necessary tools to better themselves in their countries.
Launched in 2015, NASEâs mission is to combat youth unemployment by generating and supporting the most impressive pool of student entrepreneurs in Uganda.
Enterprise is more than the creation of entrepreneurs, it is about a can-do and positive attitude and equipping people with the confidence to develop a career and their vocational interests.
To that end, NASE supports the development of a wide range of work and professional skills and capabilities, including resilience, risk taking, creativity and innovation, as well as a self-belief that starting a business is a viable career choice and one of the most exciting and challenging things a person will ever do.
Given Ugandaâs demographics, we are convinced that this is best delivered in schools, colleges and universities. We are on a mission therefore, to build a national movement of enterprising youth, particularly students by launching, nurturing and supporting Enterprise Societies in ALL Secondary Schools, Vocational Colleges and Universities across the country.
NASE also acts as a link between Ugandan and international academic institutions, especially in the UK with a view of facilitating exchanges of best practices in enterprise education.
