The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), H.E. Wamkele Mene, has called on Uganda to accelerate value addition, strengthen logistics, and deepen continental partnerships to harness Africa’s largest-ever economic integration project fully.
Delivering the keynote address on Day Two of the Uganda Connect International Buyers Week, Mene said the AfCFTA represents “the most ambitious economic transformation and integration project since the end of colonialism.”
He told delegates that Uganda is uniquely positioned to expand its footprint across African markets, thanks to its strategic location, agricultural potential, and a growing manufacturing base.
Mene highlighted Uganda’s first shipment of coffee, dairy, and pharmaceutical products to Nigeria under AfCFTA preferences as proof that continental market diversification is already taking shape.
“Uganda’s potential to reach new markets, especially in West Africa, is now becoming a reality,” he said. “The challenge is no longer distance—it is efficiency, quality, and market connectivity.”
He emphasized that Uganda can become an anchor for East Africa’s export expansion if it intensifies investment in processing, strengthens logistics, and fully leverages AfCFTA instruments such as the Adjustment Fund and the private sector strategy.
Three Priority Actions for Uganda to Advance Under AfCFTA
Mene outlined three key steps necessary to consolidate progress:
Increase value addition
He urged Uganda and its partners to move from exporting raw commodities to producing high-value processed goods for Africa’s growing consumer markets.
He noted that AfCFTA has secured partnerships with institutions such as the African Bank, African Development Bank, and the Trade and Development Bank to support industrialization.Improve logistics and market connectivity
Efficient transport systems, cold chain infrastructure, and digital trading platforms must be prioritized.
Mene commended the launch of the Entebbe–Abuja air cargo corridor, calling it “a bold step toward connecting East and West Africa.”Strengthen partnerships and regional collaboration
Platforms like Buyers Week, he said, are essential for linking producers, distributors, investors, and policymakers.
“Africa will only prosper if African countries trade more with one another and build value from within,” Mene added.
State Minister for Trade, Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, echoed Mene’s message, describing AfCFTA as one of Uganda’s biggest opportunities to accelerate industrialization and trade expansion.
He praised President Yoweri Museveni’s “ATM” vision—adding value through Agglomeration, Technology, and Market access—and said this philosophy aligns perfectly with AfCFTA’s model of beneficiation, processing, and regional value chains.
“Uganda has a young, educated, and highly scalable population, favorable weather, abundant water resources, and a secure political environment,” Mbadi noted.
“All these factors give Uganda a strong competitive advantage as it enters the continental market.”
Mbadi outlined several initiatives already in place to help Ugandan businesses scale:
Export Support Facility (EFS): Offers grants covering up to 80% of activity costs for eligible manufacturers and exporters.
Membership in the African Export-Import Bank: Ensures Ugandan SMEs can access development-oriented trade financing.
Export Credit Insurance Scheme: To be run by the Uganda Development Fund, guaranteeing up to 75% of loan values for exporters.
Pan-African Payments and Settlement System (PAPSS): Enables instant, affordable cross-border payments in local currencies.
“These tools are essential in reducing risk, increasing liquidity, and encouraging manufacturers to participate in intra-African trade,” he said.
Infrastructure and Connectivity Push Gathers Pace
The minister said Uganda is prioritizing both physical and digital connectivity to unlock continental trade routes.
Recent milestones include:
Launch of the Standard Gauge Railway from the Kenya border toward DRC and South Sudan.
New air routes and partnerships for Uganda Airlines, including a deal with a Southern African carrier to expand network coverage.
Road projects linking Uganda to Tanzania, Rwanda, DRC, and South Sudan.
“These developments will ensure that movement of goods, services, and people is faster, cheaper, and more predictable,” Mbadi said.
Looking ahead, Mbadi said Uganda will continue to drive industrialization, promote export diversification, strengthen SMEs, and digitize customs processes to reduce the cost and time of doing business.
He added that Uganda’s diplomatic missions abroad have been directed to support exporters and aggressively pursue market access, especially where government-to-government negotiations are required.
Both leaders agreed that Uganda Connect International Buyers Week embodies AfCFTA’s vision of a borderless African market driven by innovation, partnerships, and shared prosperity.
“We stand ready to partner with Uganda—to support its government and private sector—to ensure full access to the continent,” Mene
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