President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on African nations to prioritize homegrown solutions and regional integration for sustainable development. While acknowledging the value of external support, he emphasized that it is not a guarantee for long-term progress.
His remarks came during the 11th Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-11), held at the Speke Resort Convention Centre in Kampala. The three-day forum, focusing on job creation and economic growth through sustainable solutions, is organized annually by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Union, and host governments.
Museveni stressed that Africa must develop its own solutions, referencing Uganda’s resilience in the face of external criticism. He shared an example where Uganda faced sanctions after passing a controversial law on homosexuality, yet the country’s economy grew by 6%, proving Africa’s potential to thrive without relying on foreign aid.
Reflecting on Uganda’s journey from colonial times, Museveni highlighted the country’s shift from a subsistence agricultural economy to a more diversified, market-oriented one. After decades of economic decline, his government revived key industries such as coffee, tobacco, and cotton, and expanded into sectors like dairy, fish farming, and ICT.
He also shared that 68% of Ugandan households were still involved in subsistence farming, and to address this, the government introduced the Parish Development Model (PDM), which focuses on community-based wealth creation.
Museveni pointed out that agriculture remains the backbone of Uganda’s economy. With 40 million acres of suitable land, he noted that utilizing just 7 million acres could create over 105 million jobs—more than the country’s entire population. However, he also emphasized the importance of industrialization, services, and ICT in driving future growth.
President Museveni called for greater regional integration and the removal of strategic bottlenecks, such as high transport costs, limited access to credit, and inadequate energy infrastructure, to unlock Africa’s economic potenti
At the forum, Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Robert Keith Rae, acknowledged Africa’s pivotal role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and emphasized the need for global solidarity. United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed also urged African leaders to adopt bold, homegrown solutions to address the continent’s development challenges.
Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of UNECA, praised Uganda’s progress and called for urgent action to address gender inequality, noting that women hold only 26% of parliamentary seats across Africa. He also stressed the importance of investing in youth education and vocational training to tap into the continent’s demographic dividend.
The forum concluded with calls for bold implementation strategies to accelerate Africa’s progress toward the SDGs. Leaders underscored the need for regional cooperation, gender equality, and youth empowerment to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth for the continent.
