Education leaders in the Lango sub-region have commended Stanbic Bank Uganda for investing in the country’s future through the Stanbic National Schools Championship (NSC), describing the initiative as a transformative platform that is equipping young people with entrepreneurship, innovation and financial literacy skills.
The praise was led by Canon Jane Obeny, the City Education Officer for Lira City, during the ongoing NSC appraisal visits to COTN Marani Honors High School, Comboni College and Lira Town College, which are representing the sub-region in this year’s competition.
The appraisal stage is a critical phase of the championship where schools that advanced beyond the entrepreneurship bootcamp are evaluated to determine whether they meet the programme’s quality standards before being shortlisted among the national finalists.
Obeny said the championship has become an important complement to Uganda’s Competency-Based Curriculum by equipping learners with practical skills that prepare them for life beyond the classroom.
“The Stanbic National Schools Championship is exposing our learners to entrepreneurship, innovation and financial literacy at an early stage. These are practical skills that complement the government’s Competency-Based Curriculum and are essential in addressing youth unemployment. We commend Stanbic Bank for investing in our young people and giving them opportunities to become job creators rather than job seekers,” Obeny said.
She noted that the programme has inspired schools across the region to embrace innovation while encouraging learners to identify solutions to challenges affecting their communities.
Beyond the knowledge and mentorship offered through the competition, participating schools and students stand a chance to win a share of UGX 150 million in prizes, alongside a fully sponsored educational trip to South Africa, home of the Standard Bank Group, Stanbic Bank Uganda’s parent company.
Speaking during the appraisal exercise, Diana Ondoga, Manager Corporate Social Investment at Stanbic Bank Uganda, said the championship reflects the bank’s commitment to investing in Uganda’s future through sustainable youth development.
“The National Schools Championship is our purpose in action. We believe that empowering young people with entrepreneurial and financial skills today creates a generation capable of driving Uganda’s future economic growth. Through this initiative, we are helping students develop practical solutions to real-world challenges while nurturing innovation, leadership and resilience,” Ondoga said.
She explained that the championship is implemented under Stanbic Bank’s five strategic pillars of Financial Inclusion, Enterprise Development, Infrastructure Development and Financing, Climate Finance and Sustainability, and Corporate Social Investment.
Ondoga added that this year’s edition holds special significance as Stanbic Bank Uganda celebrates 35 years of driving Uganda’s socio-economic transformation under the stewardship of the Standard Bank Group.
Held annually since 2016, the Stanbic National Schools Championship has grown into one of Uganda’s flagship youth empowerment initiatives, impacting more than 600,000 students from secondary and vocational institutions across the country.
The programme challenges learners to develop innovative business ideas that address community problems while equipping them with entrepreneurship, financial literacy, leadership and critical thinking skills.
Education stakeholders say the initiative has strengthened collaboration between schools, government and the private sector, helping bridge the gap between classroom learning and the practical skills required in today’s economy.
As the appraisal exercise continues across the country, schools are competing for a coveted place among the national finalists, where Uganda’s brightest young innovators will showcase business ideas with the potential to transform communities and create employment.
For Stanbic Bank, the championship remains more than a competition—it is a long-term investment in developing a generation of entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders who will contribute to Uganda’s sustainable economic growth.
