Uganda presented one of the most consequential demographic transitions in contemporary world history. With a population that was expected to quadruple from its current 48 million to nearly 200 million by the end of the twentyfirst century, driven by a total fertility rate that had declined more slowly than in comparable African economies, Uganda faced both an extraordinary opportunity and a formidable challenge. This article undertook a longitudinal analysis of Uganda's demographic trajectory since independence in 1962, examining the evolution of fertility, mortality, dependency ratios, urbanization, and educational attainment over six decades, and interrogating the policy conditions under which Uganda's young and rapidly growing population might become the economic asset that demographic dividend theory predicted. Drawing on data from successive Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys, National Population and Housing Census records, World Bank development indicators, and original analysis of sectoral employment and productivity data, the study found that Uganda had not yet reached the conditions necessary for the realization of a demographic dividend and that without significant policy interventions in education quality, labour market development, family planning access, and economic structural transformation, the demographic transition was more likely to produce a demographic burden than a dividend. The article concluded with acomprehensive set of policy imperatives for realisation that engaged both with the specific constraints of the Ugandan context and with the lessons of the East Asian demographic dividend experience.

This study examined the relationship between agriculture support programs and poverty eradication in Ntusi Subcounty, Sembabule District, Uganda. The research was guided by three specific objectives: to assess the influence of input support programs on poverty eradication; to examine the effect of extension services and farmer training on poverty eradication; and to determine the role of access to credit and financial services on poverty eradication. A cross-sectional research design was adopted, combining both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data were collected from 120 respondents comprising farmers, agricultural extension workers, local government officials, and community leaders using structured questionnaires, interview guides, and focus group discussions. The findings revealed that input support programs significantly improved agricultural productivity and household incomes among beneficiary farmers. Extension services and farmer training were found to have a positive and statistically significant effect on farming practices and poverty reduction. Access to credit and financial services was identified as a critical enabler of agricultural investment and economic advancement among rural households. The study concluded that agriculture support programs played a vital role in reducing poverty levels in Ntusi Sub-county when effectively implemented and coordinated. It was recommended that government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and development partners strengthen and sustain agriculture support interventions to achieve lasting poverty eradication in rural Uganda.

This study investigated the phenomenon of cognitive surrender among students in the context of increasing AI tool usage in higher education settings, and examined the effectiveness of specific pedagogical activities designed to foster critical thinking and counter over-reliance on AI-generated outputs. The study was conducted across three universities in Uganda, involving 312 students from undergraduate programs in social sciences, information technology, and education faculties who were regular users of AI tools including ChatGPT, Google Bard, and similar large language model-based assistants. A mixed-methods quasi-experimental design was employed, with students in experimental groups exposed to structured pedagogical interventions over a 12-week semester period while control groups continued with conventional instructional approaches. Pre- and post-intervention assessments using the WatsonGlaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) were administered to measure critical thinking competency changes.
Data were also collected through questionnaires, focus group discussions, and learning portfolio analysis. Findings indicated that cognitive surrender, defined as the uncritical acceptance and wholesale adoption of AI-generated content without independent verification, evaluation, or intellectual engagement, was prevalent among 67.3% of surveyed students prior to intervention. Post-intervention assessment showed that students in experimental groups demonstrated significant improvements in critical thinking scores (mean gain = 8.4 points on WGCTA) compared to control groups (mean gain = 1.9 points), confirming that targeted pedagogical interventions effectively promoted critical thinking and reduced cognitive surrender behaviors. The most effective pedagogical activities were structured AI output critique exercises, Socratic questioning seminars, collaborative fact-checking workshops, and AI-human comparative analysis tasks. The study concluded that proactive pedagogical design was essential to preserving critical intellectual agency in AI-augmented learning environments and recommended the integration of AI-critical pedagogy into curriculum frameworks across Ugandan higher education institutions.

The research was on the effect of practical-based instruction on senior secondary students’ achievement and retention in
genetics in Ekiti, Nigeria. The moderating effect of gender was also examined. The study adopted the pretest, posttest, control group, quasi-experimental research design. The instrument used for data collection was Genetics Achievement Test (GAT) with the reliability value of 0.82 using Pearson Product Moment Coefficient. The target population of this study was 1356 which was the population of SSII Biology students in the study area. A sample of 292 students comprising 158 boys and 134 girls drawn from 6 schools in the Local government area selected using multi-stage sampling Procedures. Three research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The study revealed that students taught genetics using practical-based instruction had significantly higher mean achievement scores and retention than those taught using conventional method F=555.374, P(0.0001

The study investigated the influence of instructional materials on the performance of learners in mathematics at Comboni high school. The specific objectives included identifying the types of instructional materials available for teaching mathematics, examining whether these materials were utilized during instruction, and establishing the impact of their utilization on the development of mathematical competencies among students. Utilizing a survey research design, data were collected from a target population of 190 respondents, including head teachers, teachers, and students. A sample size of 150 participants was determined using Krejcie and Morgan's formula, employing simple random sampling for students and teachers, while school administrators were selected through criterion-based sampling. Primary data were gathered using structured questionnaires and interviews, while secondary data were sourced from school records. The findings revealed demographic characteristics, including a predominance of younger respondents and a gender distribution skewed toward males. Most respondents possessed only primary education, suggesting that limited educational qualifications may affect their engagement with instructional materials in mathematics. The results indicated the need for effective utilization of instructional materials to enhance mathematical performance among learners. The findings revealed that while textbooks and workbooks were the most accessible resources, the use of digital tools was limited. Although teachers incorporated
various materials into lessons, their effectiveness was inconsistent, with only 51% of respondents strongly agreeing on their effective use. The study also highlighted that instructional materials significantly contributed to students' understanding of mathematical concepts and problem-solving skills. However, concerns regarding resource adequacy and the need for professional development were noted.

Nigeria has faced several challenges such as poor decision-making processes and limited use of data analytics, which has constrained the sustainability of hi-tech ventures. Nigeria initiated innovation-supported data-driven decision-making strategies to address these challenges. This study examines whether these strategies have successfully addressed the challenges. The study examined the effect of innovation-supported data-driven decision-making on the sustainability of hi-tech ventures in Southwest Nigeria. The study adopted the Dynamic Capabilities Theory as a theoretical framework. This study adopted survey and interview research designs. The target population are founders, data analysts, and operations managers in Southwest Nigeria. The total population of the study is 570. A sample size of 230 was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan formula. Primary data were sourced from questionnaire responses while secondary data were sourced from NBS, NITDA, and academic journals. The primary method of data collection used the instrument of questionnaire, while the secondary method used documentary review and interviews to obtain qualitative data. Descriptive statistics were used to present the data, while multiple linear regression was used to test the hypotheses at p

This article provides a comparative analysis of state repression during Uganda’s 2016, 2021, and 2026 general elections. Utilizing a qualitative review of secondary data including human rights reports, judicial records, and legislative texts the study investigated how the Ugandan state has evolved its tactical response to political dissent.
While the 2016 cycle was defined by overt, physical coercion, the 2021 and 2026 cycles revealed a transition toward “smart” repression, characterized by digital surveillance, legislative weaponization, and clandestine extrajudicial operations. This paper argues that these shifts represent a calculated move toward institutionalized authoritarianism, which fundamentally undermines democratic consolidation and constitutionalism in Uganda.

This study investigated the relationship between poverty alleviation interventions and community development outcomes in Ludara Sub-county, Koboko District, Uganda. The study was motivated by persistent poverty levels in the Koboko area despite decades of government and non-governmental organization interventions. The specific objectives were to assess the nature of poverty alleviation programs implemented in Ludara Sub-county, to evaluate the impact of these programs on community development outcomes, and to identify the challenges affecting the effectiveness of poverty alleviation efforts in the area. A descriptive research design was employed, combining quantitative household surveys with qualitative focus group discussions and key informant interviews. A total of 120 households were surveyed using a structured questionnaire, and five focus group discussions and twelve key informant interviews were conducted. The findings revealed that microfinance and savings group programs, agricultural extension services, and community infrastructure projects were the dominant poverty alleviation interventions in the area. Regression analysis showed that participation in microfinance programs had the most significant effect on household income improvement (β = 0.478, p < 0.001), followed by agricultural extension services (β = 0.341, p < 0.01). Community development outcomes such as improved access to clean water, educational enrollment rates, and household assets were positively associated with sustained program participation. Key challenges identified included limited community awareness, poor road infrastructure, limited financial literacy among beneficiaries, and inadequate monitoring and evaluation of programs. The study concluded that targeted and participatory poverty alleviation programs had significant positive effects on community development in Ludara Sub-county, and recommended that program implementers strengthen community engagement, literacy training, and infrastructure development to enhance program effectiveness.

This study examined the relationship between time orientation, priority-setting behaviour, and economic and social outcomes in the Ugandan context, arguing that the management of time and priorities constituted an increasingly critical competency for Ugandan individuals, households, organizations, and government actors in a rapidly globalizing and digitalizing environment. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of 1,842 adult Ugandans conducted across all regions of the country, supplemented by qualitative interviews with 86 urban and rural respondents, the study explored cultural attitudes toward time, the priority-setting practices of individuals and households, the organizational time cultures of public and private sector institutions, and the gap between existing time management practices and the requirements of Uganda's economic development aspirations. The findings revealed that Uganda was characterized by a complex and internally varied time culture that combined elements of what the literature described as polychronic time orientation comfort with multiple simultaneous activities, flexible scheduling, and relationship-prioritized temporal decisions with growing aspirational alignment with monochronic time norms associated with formal employment, digital technology use, and international business engagement. The study argued that rather than requiring Ugandans to wholesale abandon indigenous time orientations, the cultivation of priority and time management skills required the development of a contextually intelligent temporal flexibility the capacity to navigate between different time cultures as context demanded and that this capacity was both learnable and urgently needed.

The study examined students' attitudes and performance in Kiswahili at Bukokho Seed Secondary School in Namisindwa District, Uganda. The study was guided by three specific objectives: to assess the nature of students' attitudes toward Kiswahili language learning, to examine the relationship between student attitudes and academic performance in Kiswahili, and to identify the factors that influenced students' attitudes toward the Kiswahili subject. A descriptive survey research design was employed, and data were collected from 120 respondents comprising students, Kiswahili teachers, and school administrators. Questionnaires, interview guides, and document analysis were used as data collection instruments. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that the majority of students held negative attitudes toward Kiswahili, which was associated with poor academic performance in the subject. Factors such as lack of qualified Kiswahili teachers, inadequate instructional materials, limited exposure to the Kiswahili language environment, and perceived irrelevance of Kiswahili in daily community life significantly influenced students' negative attitudes. The study concluded that attitudinal factors played a critical role in shaping Kiswahili performance outcomes at Bukokho Seed Secondary School. It was recommended that the Ministry of Education and Sports strengthen the deployment of qualified Kiswahili teachers in rural schools, promote extracurricular activities that create a Kiswahili language environment, and sensitize communities about the importance of Kiswahili in national and regional development.