President Museveni has urged African nations to take ownership of their development through homegrown solutions and regional cooperation, emphasizing that reliance on external aid is not a sustainable strategy.
He made these remarks while officiating at the 11th Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-11) at the Speke Resort Convention Centre in Munyonyo, Kampala.
The three-day forum, organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in collaboration with the African Union, is themed: “Driving job creation and economic growth through sustainable, inclusive, science and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.”
The event was graced by Zimbabwean President H.E. Emmerson Mnangagwa and Uganda’s First Lady and Minister of Education, Maama Janet Museveni.
“The solutions are with us,” President Museveni stated, recounting a recent standoff with Western countries over Uganda’s anti-homosexuality legislation. He pointed out that despite economic sanctions, such as removal from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and withdrawal of World Bank loans, Uganda’s economy still grew by 6%.
Tracing Uganda’s economic history, Museveni highlighted its transformation from a subsistence-based barter economy under colonial rule to a modern, diversified one.
He noted that the pre-independence enclave economy, focused on raw exports like coffee, cotton, and copper, left most Ugandans in poverty. Following the economic decline under Idi Amin, the NRM government rebuilt and expanded production, increased exports, and promoted value addition.
Museveni emphasized that government interventions like Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and the Parish Development Model (PDM) have helped more Ugandans transition from subsistence to commercial production.
He underscored the need for strategic enterprise selection, urging citizens to adopt high-value, intensive farming on small plots while utilizing Uganda’s vast arable land to create employment.
Beyond agriculture, he identified industry, services, and ICT as key growth pillars and called for infrastructural improvements in transport, electricity, and credit access to unlock Africa’s full potential. He cautioned that economic growth without structural transformation leads to perpetual underdevelopment.
Other speakers echoed the need for sustainable development. Canada’s UN Ambassador, Robert Keith Rae, reaffirmed Africa’s role in achieving the SDGs, stressing climate resilience and global economic cooperation.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed highlighted financing gaps as a major challenge, noting that many African nations spend over 60% of their revenue on debt servicing. She also called for gender equality and stronger protections for women and girls.
UNECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete commended Uganda’s progress and called for bolder strategies to meet the SDGs, emphasizing financial reforms, gender inclusivity, and leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The forum, attended by high-ranking officials, reinforced Africa’s commitment to self-sustaining development and economic transformation.
