Maarifasasa and Akademia Launch Pilot Testing for AI-Powered Offshore Delivery Platform Connecting Ugandan Engineers to Japan

Lira, Uganda | May 13 2026

Ugandan workforce development and digital talent company Maarifasasa has announced the commencement of pilot testing for AI-POD, an AI-powered multilingual offshore software development platform being developed in partnership with Akademia Co., Ltd. of Japan under the Uganda-Japan ICT Industry Promotion Project supported by the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The pilot marks a major next step following the Uganda-Japan technology partnership announced earlier this year, which positioned Uganda as an emerging hub for AI-enabled offshore software delivery and digital talent exports.

AI-POD is a next-generation multilingual Agile software collaboration platform designed to remove language and workflow barriers between Ugandan engineers and Japanese companies. The platform integrates AI-powered translation, communication support, task management, reporting workflows, and collaborative development tools that allow engineering teams in Uganda and Japan to work seamlessly in their native languages while aligning with Japanese operational standards and Agile development practices.

Pilot testing officially begins in May 2026, with applications opening for Ugandan ICT companies interested in participating in the trial phase. The initiative is expected to accelerate Uganda’s participation in the global digital economy while expanding high-value employment opportunities for young Ugandan engineers.

According to Robert Bob Okello, Founder of Maarifasasa:

“Today marks another important milestone in our mission to position Uganda as a globally competitive digital talent and AI innovation hub. AI-POD is not simply a software platform. It is an infrastructure for cross-border collaboration, trust, and opportunity between Africa and Asia. For too long, language and operational barriers have limited Africa’s participation in high-value international software markets. We are now proving that Ugandan engineers can collaborate directly with Japanese companies at global standards using AI-enabled systems.”

He added:

“This pilot is about much more than outsourcing. It is about building a long-term bridge between Uganda and Japan through technology, skills, and shared innovation. We believe Uganda has the talent, creativity, and youthful energy needed to become one of the world’s next major offshore engineering destinations.”

The pilot forms part of the broader UJ-Connect initiative, a multi-year partnership between Uganda and Japan aimed at strengthening Uganda’s ICT ecosystem through skills development, international market linkages, innovation support, and technology transfer. The initiative is already connecting hundreds of engineers and ICT companies to international opportunities and continues to support pilot offshore projects between Ugandan and Japanese firms.

Under the pilot program, participating Ugandan companies will test AI-POD’s beta system in real-world collaborative environments with Japanese partners.

Parallel efforts are also underway in Japan to identify model prefectures and to organize Uganda-Japan Offshore Challenge (UJOC) business-matching events that connect Japanese companies directly with Ugandan software firms.

The collaboration aligns with Uganda’s broader ambitions to strengthen its digital economy and emerging AI ecosystem.

Recent national consultations on Uganda’s AI and Emerging Technologies Strategy have highlighted the importance of building internationally competitive digital capabilities and positioning Uganda for participation in future AI-driven economies.

Maarifasasa believes the success of initiatives such as AI-POD could help unlock thousands of offshore engineering, AI operations, and digital service jobs for Ugandan youth over the coming years while creating a replicable model for Africa-Asia technology collaboration.

About Maarifasasa

Founded in 2018, Maarifasasa is a Ugandan workforce development and digital talent company focused on preparing African youth for the global digital economy through practical digital skilling, talent development, remote work enablement, and international market linkages. The company works across digital skills training, freelancing ecosystems, workforce transformation, and technology-enabled employment pathways.

About Akademia Co., Ltd.
Akademia Co., Ltd. is a Japanese technology company headquartered in Tottori, Japan, specializing in multilingual automatic translation systems, AI solutions, software development, and digital learning technologies.

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