UNITE Signs Landmark Agreement to Sustain National E-Learning Management System

The Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE) has taken a major step towards transforming teacher education through digital innovation following the signing of the Hosting Agreement for its e-Learning Management System (e-LMS), a platform that will expand access to quality teacher education across Uganda.
Held on 7 July 2026 at the UNITE Headquarters, the signing ceremony brought together officials from UNITE, the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), UNESCO, the Research and Education Network for Uganda (RENU), and the project implementation team under the ICT Transforming Education in Africa Initiative, supported by the UNESCO Korea Funds-in-Trust (KFIT III) Programme.
The agreement marks a significant milestone in UNITE’s digital transformation agenda by providing a clear pathway for the long-term sustainability and institutional ownership of the e-Learning Management System (e-LMS).
“This platform represents the future of teacher education in Uganda. It enables us to reach educators wherever they are while maintaining quality, flexibility and inclusivity in learning,” said Prof. Betty Ezati, Vice Chancellor of UNITE.
A Digital Future for Teacher Education
Opening the ceremony, Prof. Ezati commended UNESCO, the Ministry of Education and Sports, RENU, consultant Mr. John Holmes, and the technical teams for their unwavering support in developing the platform.
She noted that the e-LMS is a strategic investment that aligns with UNITE’s mandate of preparing competent teachers through innovative and technology-enabled learning.
As a multi-campus institution with campuses in Kabale, Kaliro, Mubende, Muni, Unyama, and the Headquarters, UNITE requires robust digital systems to support learning, collaboration, administration and research across all locations.
“The platform will enable teacher educators to continue learning and teaching without disrupting their responsibilities, while fostering collaboration across our campuses,” she noted.
Prof. Ezati encouraged staff and faculty to embrace the platform and become champions of digital learning within the institution.

UNITE officials and partners during the meeting

UNESCO Commits to Supporting Sustainability

Representing UNESCO, Mr. Titus Obali, Associate Project Officer for the UNESCO Korea Funds-in-Trust Project on ICT Transforming Education, explained that the project has focused on three strategic areas:

1. Development and deployment of the Learning Management System;
2. Capacity building for teacher educators; and
3. Strengthening ICT in Education policy.

While acknowledging the successful deployment of the platform, he emphasised that sustainability is now the priority.

UNESCO announced that it has secured funding to continue financing hosting services for the UNITE e-LMS until 30 November 2027, giving the institution sufficient time to prepare for full ownership and financial responsibility beginning 1 December 2027.

Beyond infrastructure, UNESCO will continue supporting:

1. Training of 33 Learning Management System administrators and online learning facilitators;
2. Onboarding all 1,160 teacher educators across UNITE campuses and affiliated Primary Teachers’ Colleges;
3. Development and curation of quality digital learning content;
4. Strengthening institutional capacity for online teaching and learning.

Officials from RENU and other ICT experts during the meeting

Building Digital Capacity Across Uganda

Project updates revealed encouraging progress, with approximately 130 teacher educators already enrolled on the platform.

To accelerate adoption, UNESCO, MoES and UNITE will roll out campus-based induction programmes aimed at onboarding all teacher educators.

The training will focus on:

1. Effective use of the Learning Management System;
2. Online teaching and facilitation methodologies;
3. Application of the ICT Competency Framework for Teachers (ICT-CFT);
4. Development of engaging digital learning resources.

These interventions are expected to strengthen digital competencies among teacher educators and promote high-quality online instruction throughout the institution.

MoES Calls for Ownership and Innovation

Representing the Ministry of Education and Sports, Dr. Annet Kajura, Commissioner for Teacher Education and Training, described the agreement as another important milestone in Uganda’s teacher education reforms.

She urged UNITE to take full ownership of the platform by ensuring continuous content development, regular user support, sustainable financing and integration of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes.

Dr. Kajura noted that digital learning offers unprecedented opportunities to reach educators regardless of location while improving the resilience of Uganda’s education system during emergencies and other disruptions.

RENU to Enhance Digital Connectivity

The Executive Director of RENU, Mr. Nicholas Mbonimpa, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting UNITE through improved connectivity and shared digital infrastructure.

RENU will undertake connectivity assessments across all UNITE campuses and recommend improvements to ensure seamless access to the e-LMS.

He emphasized that reliable internet connectivity and access to digital devices remain essential for successful online teaching and learning.

Key Milestones Achieved

The meeting concluded with several significant commitments that will guide the next phase of implementation:

1. Signing of the Hosting Agreement, formally transferring long-term responsibility for the platform to UNITE.
2. UNESCO’s commitment to finance hosting services until 30 November 2027.
3. Adoption of a capacity-building programme to train 33 LMS administrators and facilitators.
4. Launch of a nationwide enrolment drive targeting 1,160 teacher educators.
5. RENU’s commitment to undertake connectivity assessments across all UNITE campuses.
6. Expansion of digital learning content, including ICT Competency Framework resources and Continuous Professional Development modules.
7. Strengthened collaboration among UNITE, UNESCO, MoES and RENU to advance sustainable digital transformation in teacher education.

A Shared Vision for Transforming Teacher Education

The signing of the Hosting Agreement demonstrates the shared commitment of UNITE and its partners to harness digital technology in improving the quality, accessibility and resilience of teacher education in Uganda.

By investing in digital infrastructure, connectivity, capacity building and innovative learning resources, UNITE is positioning itself as a national leader in technology-enabled teacher education.

As implementation progresses, the UNITE e-LMS is expected to become a cornerstone of flexible learning, continuous professional development and educational innovation, ensuring that teacher educators across Uganda are equipped with the digital skills required to prepare learners for the demands of the 21st century.