By President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has emphasized the importance of economic transformation and job creation as cornerstones of sustainable development.
During his keynote address at the 11th Africa Regional Summit on Sustainable Development held in Munyonyo, President Museveni traced Uganda’s journey from a traditional subsistence economy under colonial rule to the current drive toward a modern, inclusive money economy. He criticized the colonial-era “enclave economy” model, which limited economic benefits to a small section of society through the export of raw materials such as cotton, coffee, and copper with little value addition.
“The British created a small enclave of modernity surrounded by a sea of underdevelopment,” the President noted. “By 1962, only 4% of homesteads were part of the money economy. That meant exporting raw materials and all the jobs that come with value addition.”
Museveni explained that after years of economic destruction during past regimes, the NRM government started rebuilding the economy in 1986. he highlighted that his government has since achieved significant progress including recovery and expansion of traditional export sectors, diversification into new agricultural commodities, and the launch of a knowledge-based economy.
“We moved from 3 million coffee bags in 1986 to 9 million bags today. We’ve added value to milk, beef, leather, fruits, and even begun producing vehicles, vaccines, and computers,” he said.
To tackle widespread subsistence farming, which by 2013 still affected 68% of households, Museveni explained that the interventions including Operation Wealth Creation and the formation of parish-based SACCOs have been initiated to shift households into the money economy through tailored, land-appropriate commercial farming.
“A one-acre model can create 15 jobs. Uganda has 40 million acres of arable land. If we utilize just 7 million acres, we can generate 105 million jobs—more than double our population,” the President emphasized.
Additionally, Museveni highlighted three additional pillars of wealth and employment: industry, services, and ICT. He revealed that agriculture currently employs over 3.6 million people, industry 1.4 million, services over 5 million, and ICT around 46,000.
However, he warned that unlocking the full potential of these sectors requires addressing “strategic bottlenecks” such as lack of affordable transport, energy, capital, and an educated workforce, as well as the continued export of raw materials.
“Sustainable growth without transformation is a recipe for perpetual underdevelopment,” Museveni concluded, urging African nations to focus not just on expanding economies but also on transforming them to deliver wealth and jobs for all.
The summit brought together regional leaders, policy experts, and development stakeholders to strategize on Africa’s path toward inclusive and sustainable development.
