User:HistoryandLiterature/James P.M. Ntozi

James Patrick Manyenye Ntozi is a distinguished researcher in demographics and statistics at Makerere University in Uganda, with his main research projects focusing on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa, fertility, census-taking, and aging and the life cycle. He is a medical demographer and statistician by training. Ntozi's areas of expertise also include gauging needs assessment, conducting evaluations, and creating baseline studies. In 2011, the book Demography of Uganda and Selected African Countries was published in honor of his research contributions.

Education

Ntozi attended Mbarara Junior High and High School.

In 1971, Ntozi earned his bachelor's of science in Economics and Statistics from the Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics at Makerere University. He had begun his undergraduate studies in 1968.

Ntozi worked on his master's degree at the institute starting in 1971 and earned his degree in 1973.

He gained his PhD in Medical Demography in 1977 from the University of London.

From 1977 to 1979, Ntozi went to the University of Nairobi because of the political unrest during the reign of Idi Amin. However, many of his colleagues left at the beginning of the regime in the early 1970s while he remained at the university.

Ntozi has also attended Bishop School Mukono, Busoga College Mwiri, where he met Uganda's current Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, and Oxford University.

Research

Ntozi has more than 75 peer reviewed scientific articles and more than 70 papers presented at conferences. He has also edited over 15 books.

During the early years of Uganda's independence, there was little data on demographics. Ntozi worked on demographics during this period and tried to promote research in the field. His research within demographics has focused on fertility, mortality, migration, and development.

In 1980, Ntozi was the commissioner for Uganda's census, the results of which led to policy changes and the government's demarcation of areas.

In the 1990s, Ntozi conducted research on marriage patterns, fertility rates, and the cultural causes and effects of HIV/AIDS.

Beginning in the late 1990s, Ntozi began his research on aging. Since then, he has given lectures at international conferences on his research, taught classes on aging, and mentored three PhD students in the subject.

Ntozi helped evaulate the PEPFAR Project in Nigeria for the United States National Academy of Sciences (2005-2007).

Starting in the 2010s, he has been researching the impact of HIV/AIDS on Ugandan elderly.

Makerere University

Professor Ntozi has served multiple roles at Makere University since 1979, including lecturer, head of department, Dean, member of the university senate, and ambassador of the university. Ntozi served as the director of the Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics for seven years, and he lectured as a Professor of Population Studies, from which he retired in 2016. He has also served as a professor of demographic statistics at the university's College of Business and Management Studies and has been on many university boards.

Ntozi began lecturing for Makerere in 1971 as a Teacher's Assistant while pursuing his master's degree. In October of 1992, he was granted full professorship, and in 1995 he fulfilled the university's requirement of professors to give an inaugural lecture by presenting his research on HIV/AIDS. It was considered rare for a professor to complete this requirement within three years of the promotion to full professorship. During his time as a professor, Ntozi has mentored around ten PhD students in demography and mentored students from his affiliated departments as well as from the departments of geography, sociology, gender studies, and public health. He has also served on many university boards.

Ntozi was a part of the university senate for more than 30 years. While on the senate, he fought for the university's departments in statistics and population studies. In 2016, he relinquished his position as Chair of the Makerere University Pensioners' Association (MUPA). While occupying this position, Ntozi advocated for the university's retiree's benefits and pensions.

At the university, he founded the Department of Population Studies. He has also developed all existing programs as of 2017, both undergraduate and graduate, in the School of Statistics and Planning. During his years at Makerere, Ntozi has advanced the demographic and population studies at the university and mobilized resources and donations for the Department of Population Studies from the Rockefeller Foundation, World Bank, International Development Research Centre (IDRC), UNFPA, USAID, UNDP, and Population Council as well as other organizations.

Despite being offered jobs on an international scale, Ntozi has declined all to stay at his alma mater.

Because of Makerere university's requirement for professors to retire at the age of 70, Ntozi retired from lecturing in 2016 to work as a farmer. However, upon retirement he asked the university to continue allowing him to conduct research and mentor students at the Center for Population and Applied Sciences.

Demography of Uganda and Selected African Countries

The 276-page book Demography of Uganda and Selected African Countries: Towards more Sustainable Development Pathways was published in 2016 to celebrate Ntozi's service to Makerere University, Uganda, and all of Africa through his research in demographics. Written by scholars in Demography and Population Studies, the book discusses the current needs of Uganda's population. It touches on issues around development, sustainability, and demography while also presenting findings to suggest changes in policies and programs. The editors include Professor John Oucho from the University of Nairobi as the Chief Editor, Associate Professor Dr. Gideon Rutaremwa, and Professor Jockey Baker Nyakaana, among others. The book has 15 writers and 4 editors from many countries and organizations such as Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, France, and the Uganda National Bureau of Standards.

The launching of the book occurred on March 23, 2017 and was organized by the Makerere College of Business and Management Sciences as well as the Centre for Population and Applied Sciences. It occurred in Makerere University's main hall.

Ntozi received a plaque at the ceremony from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), presented by its Executive Director Ben Paul Mungyereza. The plaque was given in appreciation for his work at Makerere University and his support of UBOS. Prime Minister Rugunda gave Ntozi the plaque.

Distinguished Achievements

Ntozi has been appointed many international positions at universities and institutions such as Visiting Scholar and Researcher.

Personal Life

Ntozi was born July 25, 1946 in Mbarara district in Kashari County, Rwobynje.

In 1975, Ntozi married Dr. Ida Ntozi. They have children together.

Controversy

In 2011, a public dialogue at the Planning House in Kampala was held to discuss the increasing population growth and rates of unemployment. The report "Demography and Economic Growth in Uganda" was presented with a strategy of increased urbanization to boost economic stimulus and slow down population growth. Ntozi spoke out against the report at the dialogue, claiming that urbanization does not lead to economic development as seen by the existing poverty within cities. He also disagreed that electricity in rural areas would reduce population growth.

In 2013, Ntozi called for a census, arguing that it was essential to create a development plan. He dismissed attempts by other researchers to make development plans for Uganda since the last census occurred in 2002.

The Makerere University Retirement Benefits Scheme (MURBS) threatened to strike in 2014 against the university because of delayed payments. Makerere had been failing to pay retirement benefits unless taken to court, so MURBS had been filing cases against the university since 2008. Ntozi encouraged retirees to come together and demand their benefits from Makerere in court.