President Museveni has urged the European Union (EU) to support Africa’s industrialisation by investing in local processing of raw materials, creating jobs and promoting shared prosperity rather than what he described as “parasitism”, a system in which some countries prosper at the expense of others.
Museveni said Europe had an opportunity to build a new partnership with Africa based on industrial development, economic empowerment and mutually beneficial trade instead of perpetuating the continent’s dependence on exporting unprocessed raw materials.
He made the remarks on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, while hosting and co-chairing the first Uganda–European Union Partnership Dialogue at State House, Entebbe.
The meeting, held as Uganda and the EU marked 50 years of cooperation, brought together senior government officials and European diplomats to discuss trade, climate action, development cooperation, governance, human rights, security and other regional and global priorities.
Museveni welcomed the delegation and identified value addition, poverty eradication, irrigation, environmental conservation and affordable energy as key areas in which the EU could strengthen its partnership with Uganda.
“Europe should really help Africa process its raw materials. Your companies should be encouraged and facilitated to work with African countries so they export refined products and create more jobs. We must all process fully so that we all become partners and not victims of cooperation,” he said.
The President argued that Africa’s continued dependence on exporting raw materials deprived its people of employment opportunities, income and the full benefits of their natural resources.
He cited coffee as an example, saying a kilogramme of unprocessed coffee beans could fetch about $2, compared with approximately $40 when processed, illustrating the potential economic gains from value addition.
Museveni also cited figures indicating that the global coffee business was worth approximately $460 billion, while coffee-producing countries collectively earned only about $25 billion. He said Germany, despite not producing coffee, earned approximately $65 billion from the coffee business.
He described the disparity as evidence of the need for African countries to strengthen their processing and manufacturing capacity.
“This is really the fault of the African leaders who have betrayed their people. They give away African resources daily instead of maximising what God gave us, especially by selling unprocessed raw materials. This is criminal,” he said.
Museveni said Uganda’s policy of discouraging the export of unprocessed raw materials was intended to retain more economic value within the country. He urged the EU to support this approach.
He added that Africa’s economic potential remained constrained by low levels of industrialisation despite the continent’s considerable natural resources and expanding markets.
The President put Africa’s combined gross domestic product at approximately $3.8 trillion, compared with about $32 trillion for the United States and more than $20 trillion for China.
He argued that economic growth across countries would create opportunities for increased trade and investment, benefiting both developed and developing economies.
“I reject this idea of partial wealth. It is satanic, bankrupt and self-defeating. Why would you be blind and fail to see that your neighbour’s prosperity is your own interest? How can they say trading with poor people is better than trading with rich people?” he asked.
Museveni said the world should move away from strategic competition towards shared prosperity, arguing that economic inequality and the exploitation of weaker economies contributed to international tensions and conflict.
Museveni said Uganda’s exports to Europe, which he put at €1.8 billion, could increase substantially if the country expanded local processing and exported higher-value products.
“In my view, the €1.8 billion exports to Europe, we should be talking of tens of billions, if not hundreds. That is still suppressed demand because if we were adding value here, we would earn much more than this,” he said.
He explained that higher earnings from value-added exports would enable Uganda to import more European products, including medical equipment and machine tools, creating additional business opportunities on both sides.
The President urged European policymakers and companies to plan for Africa’s future purchasing power rather than base their expectations solely on current economic conditions.
“If we were exporting finished products and earning more money, then we would buy more of the European products we need here, like medical equipment and machine tools. We would have more trade in higher-value products,” he said.
Museveni also proposed that the EU consider becoming an associate member of the African Union, citing the historical relationship and geographical proximity between Africa and Europe.
“The historical relationship between Africa and Europe can be better used. I have suggested that the European Union could become associate members of the African Union because of proximity,” he said.
He urged Europe to support Africa’s economic empowerment rather than pursue policies that, in his view, could perpetuate the continent’s economic dependence.
Museveni asked the EU to support Uganda’s Parish Development Model (PDM), a government programme designed to move households from subsistence production into the money economy.
He said the programme was central to the government’s efforts to lift at least seven million households out of poverty and expand employment opportunities.
“You help me support the PDM so that we convert at least seven million of the households out of poverty. Support the Ugandans to create jobs; that will be an easier entry point,” he said.
The President also called for European support for large-scale irrigation to reduce Uganda’s dependence on rainfall and stabilise agricultural production.
He said recent delays in the onset of rainfall had reinforced the need for farmers to adopt irrigation systems to protect production against changing weather patterns.
“God has woken up a bit of Ugandans by causing drought. The rain delayed for two months, and I thanked God that He is doing it deliberately to wake them up. We want to launch massive irrigation to stabilise agriculture,” he said.
Museveni urged the EU to explore ways of supporting Uganda’s irrigation ambitions, noting that the country’s considerable agricultural potential was sometimes undermined by unpredictable rainfall.
On environmental protection, Museveni urged European partners to support efforts to conserve wetlands and forests, which he said were being degraded by encroachment and inappropriate agricultural practices.
He said Uganda had abundant water resources but needed to improve their management. He proposed fish farming around the peripheries of wetlands and irrigation as alternatives to destructive cultivation practices.
The President also appealed for support in acquiring earth-moving equipment to construct valley dams and strengthen water conservation efforts.
He maintained that the government would continue removing encroachers from wetlands and forests, stressing that environmental protection required firm enforcement.
On energy, Museveni called for private investment backed by patient capital to help Uganda provide affordable electricity for industrial production.
“We need either the private sector with patient capital because we don’t want to have expensive electricity. We are ensuring that for manufacturing it should be five cents,” he said.
He also asked the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Sanjay Tanna, to engage the EU in detailed discussions on improving the business environment and expanding economic cooperation.
The President said Uganda welcomed dialogue and cooperation with the EU but expected its sovereignty and domestic decision-making processes to be respected.
He identified political and social issues as areas in which Uganda opposed what he considered external interference, while distinguishing such interference from discussions and exchanges of views between partners.
“Once you don’t interfere with our political issues and social issues, leave us; don’t interfere with us. Influence people, for example, do what you think is right, but don’t manipulate,” he said.
On political governance, Museveni defended Uganda’s electoral and representation arrangements, citing constituency-based Members of Parliament and special representation for women, youth and persons with disabilities.
He said Uganda was willing to exchange views with European partners but opposed foreign funding intended to influence domestic political choices.
On social issues, he reiterated the government’s position on homosexuality, saying Uganda did not support its promotion as an alternative way of life.
The EU delegation was led by its ambassador to Uganda, Jan Sadek, who co-chaired the dialogue.
Sadek said the partnership remained important to the EU, estimating that European support to Uganda over the past 50 years had amounted to approximately €20 billion.
He described the relationship as a broad partnership involving governments, institutions, businesses and young people, adding that both sides had opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the coming years.
“Uganda’s voice matters. We ought to work together. We want to be reliable and predictable, working together with Uganda. Fifty years gives us a lot to reflect on and see what to do next in our partnership,” he said.
Sadek highlighted coffee and other value-added products as important areas for future cooperation, saying the EU wanted processing and its associated economic benefits to remain in Uganda.
He cited Ugandan chocolate as an example of a product with potential to attract European investment and enter European markets, linking the opportunity to Uganda’s development ambitions for 2040.
The ambassador also said the EU was supporting private-sector development and cooperation in mineral development and processing.
He announced €50 million in new support for conservation and tourism.
Sadek thanked Uganda for its military contribution to the African Union’s regional security efforts in Somalia and its wider role in regional stability. He also commended the country’s response to Ebola and its contribution to disease control, calling for continued information sharing.
The dialogue was held in what officials described as an open and constructive atmosphere, with both delegations reaffirming their commitment to strengthening economic ties and addressing shared regional and global concerns.
The discussions recognised the EU as Uganda’s largest trading partner outside Africa, with bilateral trade estimated at €2.4 billion annually and Uganda recording a trade surplus of approximately €1 billion, according to the meeting’s account.
Both sides agreed to establish a structured dialogue on improving the business environment and continue discussions on securing Uganda’s favourable access to the EU market, including through a possible Economic Partnership Agreement.
They also agreed to hold a dedicated security dialogue.
The delegations highlighted cooperation under the EU’s Global Gateway investment initiative, climate action, renewable energy and refugee support.
Team Europe is contributing more than €520 million towards refugee-related interventions, according to the meeting’s account.
The EU acknowledged Uganda’s role in regional peace and security, particularly in Somalia, where it said it had provided nearly €2.8 billion in support since 2007. It encouraged Uganda to continue contributing to stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and South Sudan.
The two sides also discussed international developments, including Russia’s war against Ukraine, and reaffirmed their commitment to multilateral cooperation and international criminal justice institutions.
They agreed to hold the Uganda–EU Partnership Dialogue annually.
Delegations
The EU delegation included resident ambassadors and heads of mission from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Austria, alongside non-resident representatives from Czechia and Spain.
The Ugandan delegation included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Adonia Ayebare; the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Kiryowa Kiwanuka; the Attorney General, Sam Mayanja; the Minister of Agriculture, Frank Tumwebaze; the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao; the Minister for Water and Environment, Kahinda Otafiire; the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Sanjay Tanna; and the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Amos Lugoloobi.
The first Uganda–EU Partnership Dialogue marks a renewed effort by both sides to strengthen their longstanding relationship, with industrialisation, value addition, investment and regional security emerging as key priorities for future cooperation.
