PSFU, youths ask govt to unlock Facebook 

Solomon Lule is a digital marketer. Before 2021, he was earning decent incomes from promoting products and services on social media platforms, mainly Facebook.

But something unexpected happened as the government banned Facebook and other social media platforms ahead of the 2021 general elections. The government blocked Facebook after the social media giant deactivated hundreds of accounts of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) supporters.

More than two years later, Facebook is still blocked, with talks between the government and Facebook still failing to yield any results. The few Ugandans that still access Facebook only do so illegally with the aid of Virtual Private Network (VPN). At the time of its banning, Facebook was the most popular social media platform in Uganda.

Thousands of Ugandans, mainly young people, used it as their main source of information, opportunities, and income. Just like Lule, the majority of these have never recovered from this setback.

The Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and a number of youths are now calling upon the government to revisit this decision and open up Facebook and its linked social media platforms in addition to addressing the high costs of data to spur job creation and development of small businesses among the young generation.

Speaking during the launch of PSFU’s Youth Engagement Campaign at the Uganda museum in Kampala last week, Francis Kisirinya, the chief membership officer at PSFU, said that with reduced internet costs, young people will be able to explore online entrepreneurship opportunities.

“Many of the youth entrepreneurs use the internet today. But when you look at the data bundles, they are costly [partly] because of taxes. This means many youths are unable to take advantage of available digital opportunities. The government should find ways of reducing taxes to make the Internet accessible,” Kisirinya said.

Additionally, Nelson Bugembe, the founder of Starshine Detergent, noted that blocking social media coupled with the high costs of data and the recently passed digital media laws by parliament will further affect the sustainability and overall profitability of businesses, especially those that are youth-centric. He appealed to the government to review this position.

The Youth Engagement Campaign – supported by Mastercard Foundation – is an initiative to engage young people directly by creating decent work opportunities and business mentorship to fit their needs.

Nearly 700,000 youths are reported to join the labour market annually, but only about 150,000 secure jobs within the private sector. According to the National Labour Force Survey 2021 by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, at least 41 per cent or 9.3 million youths aged between 18 and 30 are not engaged in productive work.

Kisirinya said with affordable access to the internet, youths can start online businesses, reach a broader market, and create job opportunities for themselves and others.

“The youth have been using platforms such as Facebook to market their products. The platform was shut down. It is being used today illegally, which does not help much. We think the government should revisit the issue of Facebook and let it operate again, especially in this generation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Meralyn Mungereza, the Country Programs head at Mastercard Foundation, said digital platforms can have a significant and positive impact on various aspects of their lives, as well as on the overall development of the country.

“Learn how to use these platforms for good. The foundation believes in the potential of young people to transform communities. While our work in Uganda started with the scholars’ program, we identified the need to support young people to transition to work. We launched the Young Africa Works in 2018 to take a bold bet on young people,” Mungereza said.

“We aim to enable 30 million young people across the continent to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. In Uganda, we aim to enable 4.3 million young Ugandans to access work opportunities through partnering with dedicated and like-minded entities like PSFU.”

Humphrey Nzeyi, the board chairperson at PSFU, commended Mastercard for the tremendous support towards youths. He said the Lead Firm Structure for Youth Employment initiative has supported several youths across the country.

Youths that converged at the Uganda museum agreed that lower internet costs would enable more young people to access the vast resources available on the internet. They can access educational materials, online courses, and valuable information that can enhance their knowledge and skills, and employment opportunities.

In 2022, according to data from Uganda Communications Commission, total internet subscriptions crossed the 25 million mark. On a year-on-year comparison, the industry recorded a total of 1.8 million new internet connections, resulting in a national penetration rate of 60 per cent.

nangonzi@observer.ug