Uganda has called for increased investment in value addition, manufacturing and innovation, as the government seeks to reduce the country’s reliance on exports of unprocessed raw materials and accelerate economic transformation.
Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Sanjay Tanna said Uganda’s economic potential can only translate into higher incomes and jobs if investment is directed towards productive sectors and businesses are supported to move up the value chain.
Tanna was speaking on Monday at the opening of the 2026 Uganda Trade and Investment Roadshow in Kampala, organised by Equity Group, which has brought together more than 150 investors, business leaders, policymakers and private-sector players from 10 countries.
“Resources alone do not create prosperity. We must transform our productive capacity by increasing investment, manufacturing, value addition, innovation and exports,” Tanna said.
He identified agro-processing, minerals, pharmaceuticals, textiles and garments, leather, construction materials and information and communications technology as sectors with significant opportunities for investment and value addition.
According to Tanna, increasing local processing and manufacturing would create employment, raise incomes, strengthen domestic enterprises, expand the tax base and increase Uganda’s earnings from international trade.
“We should move beyond exporting raw materials and increasingly process and manufacture products in Uganda,” he said.
The Minister also urged financial institutions to align their lending with the country’s industrialisation priorities by providing financing tailored to productive sectors.
He called for patient capital for long-term investments, trade finance for exporters, equipment financing for manufacturers and appropriate financial products for small and medium-sized enterprises and cooperatives.
“Financial institutions are critical partners in industrialisation. A factory, farmer, exporter or growing enterprise requires appropriate capital to expand,” Tanna said.
He also challenged banks to deepen support for micro, small and medium enterprises, particularly those operating outside major urban centres, through access to finance, financial literacy, improved bookkeeping and market linkages.
The government, he said, must continue improving the business environment by addressing barriers related to infrastructure, energy, skilled labour, access to finance and regulatory efficiency.
“Investors need predictability, efficient institutions, reliable infrastructure and energy, skilled labour, access to finance and clear regulations,” Tanna said.
He further urged Ugandan businesses to look beyond the domestic market and leverage opportunities presented by the East African Community and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
However, he cautioned that increased market access must be matched by competitiveness, including adherence to international standards, improved quality, packaging and branding, as well as efficient production.
The minister’s remarks come as Equity Group hosts a trade and investment mission aimed at connecting Ugandan businesses with regional and international investors, markets, financing and technology.
Equity Bank Uganda Executive Director Claver Sserumaga said the bank’s role goes beyond financing businesses to facilitating commercial connections that can help enterprises expand.
“Uganda does not lack opportunity; what we need is to connect that opportunity to the right capital, markets, technology and partnerships,” Sserumaga said.
He said the mission is intended to translate business engagements into investment, partnerships and commercial transactions, with particular focus on agriculture, coffee, manufacturing and technology.
The programme includes a Uganda Coffee Value Chain Roundtable, bringing together international coffee companies, including Neumann Kaffee Gruppe and Volcafe, as well as local businesses and other players across the value chain.
Delegates will also visit businesses and productive-sector projects, including Zigoti Coffee Farm, JNL Industries and Roofings Uganda Limited, to gain first-hand exposure to Uganda’s investment opportunities.
Equity Group Associate Director of Trade Relations Mahvish Malik said the missions are designed to move investors beyond discussions about markets and towards direct engagement with potential business partners.
The Uganda leg of the mission will run until September 16 before delegates proceed to Kigali, Rwanda, for the next phase of the programme.
The mission is part of Equity Group’s wider efforts to promote intra-African trade, regional integration and investment by connecting businesses and investors to capital, markets, technology and commercial networks across the continent.
Tanna said achieving Uganda’s economic ambitions would require closer collaboration between government, financial institutions, investors and the private sector.
“Economic transformation occurs when ideas become investments, investments become businesses, businesses create jobs, and businesses become competitive exporters,” he said.
