Dr Oluka Pross Nagitta

‍1. You've had a remarkable career with your current job as a lecturer at Uganda Management Institute, being awarded PhD in Management Studies, becoming a member of the Educational Programmes Committee with the African Institute for Supply Chain Research, and your appointment at the Institute of Public Procurement Professionals of Uganda. Was this a career you planned, or how did your career start?

I never intended to be where I am today. Initially I studied marketing, then  and then worked as sales officer with a car dealer, then moved on to work with the bank, before taking time off to look after my children. Later, I  decided to pursue another degree course This is when I changed careers from marketing to procurement and logistics. I found it more unique; it was something new. I am always searching for something exciting. Somehow, I applied, and I was part of the first lot to do this field of study at Kyambogo University, Uganda. I graduated at the top of my class. Later I was offered a scholarship by the Royal Embassy of Netherlands through a project at the same University, An Agreement was signed between Kyambogo University and myself that after completing my studies, I would come back and serve the University. After my studies, I was offered a job as a teaching Assistant at the same University till 2009. In 2010, I joined Uganda Management till today. 

I have been lecturing since that point, and was later offered a sponsorship by the Dutch government to do a PhD in education. But I was not interested in doing a PhD in education. I wanted to stay within my field of interest, so I was the only exception within the program who was accepted to do a degree in supply chains, which is related to procurement. The placement was through the Netherland’s collaboration with the University of Pretoria. However, when my supervisor changed to UNISA, I moved with her. 

2. What has been the highlight of your career?

One of the key highlights of my career has been the development of an Application, in conjunction with Prof Marcia Mkansi and a master’s student from UNISA. The App is developed from my PhD work and addresses a multi-embedded supply-chain coordination problem for Malaria drug shortages and waste.  This is very impactful to the ordinary woman who walks miles to the nearest health facility, only to be told that there is no medicine. We hope that if the App is adopted in African hospitals, the problem may be addressed and that it will lead to social-economic transformation in affected communities. I also think this highlights how we as the academic community should undertake research to solve societal problems, and not merely for publishing purposes.

I also greatly enjoy supervising my students’ research, as it allows me to learn how people feel about research. The supervision is a one-on-one relationship, and this is where I feel that I am able to relate to my students. I find supervising students very rewarding, especially in witnessing them complete their research, and when I receive positive feedback on my method of supervision it gives me a sense of satisfaction. Often at the end of my students’ research, I would co-author with them, creating opportunities for both of us. 

3. What difficulties have you faced in pursuing a career in this field as a woman in Uganda?

Living in an African context impacts the way I have had to navigate my career as a woman. The African context dictates that a woman should live her life according to strict norms. I am in a male-dominated field, where I am constantly doubted, which in turn gave me momentum to complete my PhD. I believe that men think women are weak, therefore, they are not accepting of the possibility of women taking over their roles because it would suggest that women are taking power. This gendered discourse has propelled me to be where I am today, and to do certain things that even men in my institute cannot do. It propels me to show that we, as women, are able to do anything. I believe women can do better, all they need is the stamina and the attitude that you must push, no matter how many people try to put you down, and never settle for less. For example, when I was growing up, we were mainly girls, and I had two brothers. My father always pushed me and my sisters to achieve. This really helped shape my perception of women’s empowerment. When I was young, girls didn’t go to school, but my father really pushed us to get an education. Where and how I grew up has made me who I am today and I have taught my children to be and do the same.

4. Do you have any advice for women who would like to pursue the same career path as you?

To know what they want! A PhD is not a walk in the park; you must start with the right attitude. Completing a PhD is not as easy for a woman in Africa, because of the issues I have mentioned above.  The PhD may take long but they will get there. It is about getting interested, having a dream, living the dream, pushing for what they believe in and knowing the sacrifices that will need to be made. There are so many things women can achieve, but it begins and ends with them and how they work around their own obstacles. They need to be resilient; women can do better than men!  If they believe that a field they want to enter is male-dominated, they shouldn’t let it deter them because they can also compete with them and contribute effectively to the same field.

5. What does being a woman in digital policy in Africa mean to you?

The digital policy field in Uganda is male dominated. I particularly love artificial intelligence and exploring the different ways in which technology can make our lives easier and help us get things done faster and efficiently. Through policy briefs, my role has always been to lobby policymakers to make laws that enable young people to get easier access to the technologies and skills needed in this digital world. As a woman, it is not easy to push for technology in the workplace because people fear losing jobs. Men ask many questions and others get pessimistic as technology evolves. People relay fears that intelligent computers will make human workers obsolete. While others feel that they are not sure of how data is used since most governments do not have data protection policies. The implication is that many people do not understand that digitization is the key driver in many sectors. Broader awareness is needed to reduce resistance to technology advancement. Hopefully, the barriers which inhibit the transfer of such digital skills in African countries will be done away with, especially in the post-COVID 19 era.

Therefore, I always advocate for policies that target young people to become digital entrepreneurs in order to enable them to source and, distribute their products efficiently and effectively within the supply chain. For instance, through research that I have carried out over the years, I have created awareness on the need for technology-focused policies that make Malaria medicines available, reduce wastage, death for children under five and improve the social-economic wellbeing of pregnant mothers. It should be noted that the majority of nurses are women. If the policies are gender-friendly, then the women can be creative and innovative to solve many other societal challenges.

Whenever I have an opportunity, I always share my experience with other women and raise their awareness on the importance of gaining skills in information technologies. ICTs should be embedded in the curriculum and specific resources are required particularly for women to gain practical skills in this area to redress the imbalances in this male-dominated field.