Uganda’s Minister of State for Trade, Gen. Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, has said Uganda is entering a new era of accelerated export growth driven by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), regional market integration, and the country’s 10-Fold Growth Strategy. Delivering remarks at the Uganda Connect International Buyers Week on 26 November 2025, Gen. Mbadi outlined government’s strategic direction for international trade, positioning Uganda as a competitive regional and continental export hub.
Speaking to hundreds of international buyers, exporters, logistics providers and investors attending the week-long event at Speke Resort Munyonyo, the Minister applauded the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) for its continued partnership with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives in advancing Uganda’s trade agenda.
He noted that trade has become a central pillar of Uganda’s national development strategy under the forthcoming National Development Plan IV (NDP IV). The Plan identifies trade as a key driver of export-led growth, industrialization, job creation and increased household incomes.
“Uganda’s vision for international trade has always been unequivocal. We seek to broaden and deepen our markets, strengthen competitiveness and position our country as a regional trade hub,” Gen. Mbadi said.
The Minister highlighted Uganda’s strategic priorities under NDP IV: expanding non-traditional exports; reducing the trade deficit through value addition; improving standards and SPS compliance; and easing trade facilitation and logistics bottlenecks. These priorities align directly with Uganda’s 10-Fold Growth Strategy, which aims to dramatically expand export volumes and value across priority sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and science and innovation.
Gen. Mbadi said the AfCFTA presents one of the biggest opportunities for Uganda to achieve this transformation. With a market of 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP of USD 3.4 trillion, AfCFTA unlocks unprecedented access for Ugandan goods and services.
He said Uganda stands to benefit greatly, especially in West Africa where AfCFTA has opened 14 new markets including Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy. Opportunities are also expanding in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia for Uganda’s coffee, dairy, fruits, vegetables and fish.
“The AfCFTA provides Uganda with duty-free and quota-free access to a continental market. It enables us to competitively export coffee, tea, fish, dairy, sugar, bananas, cocoa, fruits and spices,” he noted.
The Minister further highlighted opportunities across the ATMS sectors, Agriculture, Tourism, Minerals and Science & Innovation. From agro-processing and tourism services to mineral beneficiation and digital innovation, AfCFTA supports Uganda’s entry into emerging regional value chains.
He pointed to ongoing reforms to support exporters, including the Export Support Facility, Uganda’s recent admission into Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), and plans for an Export Credit Insurance Guarantee Scheme managed by UDB to de-risk export financing.
Gen. Mbadi also reechoed the importance of trade facilitation reforms, including digitizing customs processes, strengthening border infrastructure, and adopting the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to ease cross-border payments using local currencies.
On commercial diplomacy, he announced that the Ministry of Trade, working with Foreign Affairs, will deploy Market Access Specialists/Trade Attachés to key missions to complement PACEID’s private-sector trade representatives.
“Uganda is well positioned to participate meaningfully in Africa’s emerging regional value chains. With AfCFTA, the 10-Fold Growth Strategy and strong regional markets, the opportunities before us are enormous,” he concluded.
