Maarifasasa has officially commenced pilot testing of its AI-powered multilingual offshore software development platform, AI-POD. The platform is being developed in partnership with Akademia Co., Ltd under the Uganda-Japan ICT Industry Promotion Project, an initiative supported by the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance together with 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 this month, 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.
Maarifasasa believes 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.
Speaking to the press, Robert Bob Okello, Founder of Maarifasasa, described the milestone as a major step forward in the organization’s mission to position Uganda as a globally competitive hub for digital talent and AI innovation. He further noted that AI-POD is not simply a software platform, but 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,” said Okello. “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.”
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.
The pilot phase is expected to showcase AI-POD’s potential to strengthen cross-border software development, enhance multilingual collaboration, and position Uganda as an emerging hub for AI-driven digital talent and offshore technology services.
