Vice President Jessica Alupo has urged manufacturers in Eastern and Southern Africa to prioritise the production of quality goods and services that can compete effectively in international markets.
Alupo made the call while officiating at the sixth edition of the East African Quality Awards in Kampala, where she challenged recognised companies to treat their achievements as a responsibility to maintain and improve product and service standards.
She said the awards should not be viewed merely as an accomplishment, but as a commitment to continuous improvement and the promotion of African brands in global markets.
“I encourage you not to take the recognition as the end point, but as a responsibility to mentor, set the bar higher and to take up the opportunities available through platforms like Exim Hub, and keep Uganda, East African and Southern African brand reputation rising to the higher stage,” Alupo said.
She encouraged manufacturers to take advantage of available platforms to expand their markets while maintaining standards that strengthen the reputation of African products internationally.
Ambassador Patrick Nsubuga, the founder of the East and South Africa Quality Brand Awards Company, which organised the event, said more than 280 brands had received a quality seal of excellence.
Nsubuga also announced the launch of the Exim Hub, a platform intended to connect manufacturers with markets for their products and help address market access challenges that have contributed to business closures.
“We have also launched the Exim Hub, which will support manufacturers to get ready markets for both their imports and exports. We realised that many manufacturers have been closing their businesses as a result of a lack of ready markets for their finished products and thus came up with this application to solve that problem,” Nsubuga said.
He said the awards were designed to recognise manufacturers producing quality goods while encouraging other businesses to improve their standards and competitiveness.
The Exim Hub is expected to provide manufacturers with additional opportunities to connect with potential buyers and explore markets for their products. Its effectiveness will depend on its ability to facilitate meaningful business connections and help companies overcome barriers to market access.
The ceremony attracted government officials, representatives from ministries, departments and agencies, business leaders, investors and other stakeholders from the region.
Among the companies recognised at the awards were Eram Uganda, Movit Products and Bella Wine.
