The Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) proudly announces the successful conclusion of the inaugural Pan African Congress Business Forum, held from October 7-10, 2024, at the Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo. Organized in partnership with the Africa Global Chamber of Commerce led by Uganda’s Trade Representative in the US, Dr. Olivier Kamanzi and key players from Uganda and the United States, the forum aimed to enhance Uganda’s export potential to the U.S. market.
The forum run under the theme, “A Diaspora Homecoming: Navigating the Next 100 Years”.
H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was represented by Vice President H.E. Jessica Alupo at the official opening of the forum. In his speech, read by the Vice President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni appealed to the US business community to invest in Uganda and expressed gratitude for existing partnerships with the US, particularly in the areas of security, health, and education. He cited successful ventures such as DET Imports from Michigan, which has ordered 600,000 sachets of processed ready-to-drink coffee and invited further investment in computer assembly and technology.
“I invite you to use the Africa Common Market (AfCFTA) that we launched a few years ago to drive trade within our continent to bring technology, skills, and capital to achieve the strategic objective of your continent. I thank PACEID, the organizers of this event and I welcome you all to Uganda. I am inviting you to use this week to think together with me and our people, on how to bring the necessary change in Africa and the US to improve person-to-person exchange and build closer cooperation in the economy. By doing this, we shape the kind of society of Africans we are all proud to live behind for the next generation.” said the President.
In his remarks, PACEID Chairman Odrek Rwabwogo highlighted the committee’s efforts to grow Uganda’s economy through exports and hit the extra USD 6 billion target in export revenues by 2028 and USD 100 billion by 2062. He further emphasized Uganda’s readiness for business. “Uganda must become a nation of manufacturers and exporters of complex goods. By 2062, our exports must reflect a diversified and competitive economy.”
Robert Blackwell Jr., a U.S. tech Entrepreneur & expert on technology innovation emphasized the importance of dignity and opportunity for black communities globally. “The prosperity and dignity of the black man lies in the connection between Africa and its people in the Americas. There is a big global market opportunity ready for us. Now is the time, Africa is the place.”
Hon. David Bahati delivered closing remarks at the close of Day Two. He praised the event for its practical nature, remarking on the importance of tangible results. “In many business forums, we sign MOUs, and after two or three months, you can’t find an MOU but today, we have signed not just an MOU but an LOP.” He highlighted partnerships as crucial for Uganda’s ambitious plans to boost the economy from USD 55 billion to USD 500 billion by 2062 through export promotion and import substitution.
Some of PACEID’s local partners were; the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID), Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), East African Business Council (EABC), Uganda Communication Commission (UCC), Uganda National Chamber of Commerce (UNCC), UG EXIM Limited, Trademark East Africa, Government Citizen Interaction Centre (GCIC), Creatives, and various MDAs.
Key Outcomes of the Forum:
Annual Buyers Forum: PACEID is committed to promoting Ugandan products globally, with plans to conduct at least three market summits each year across Africa, America, and Europe. The Pan African Congress Business Forum will now be an annual event every July, focusing on connecting pre-qualified buyers and suppliers of Ugandan products from different regional trading blocks.
Notably, this year the DET Imports from Michigan signed agreements with JAHL for three 20-foot Containers of new ICED ready-to-drink coffee and with Amafh Farms, one container of Macadamia nuts. Additionally, the American delegation had a meeting with H.E the President and visited several Ugandan exporting companies, including the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development for the Tooke flour, Amafth Farms in Mityana for Macamadia, and CTC Convention Center in Mpigi for tourism. They also visited Kiira Motors, and Source of the Nile in Jinja to gain insights into the local value chain.
Investment Attraction: The forum successfully showcased Uganda’s potential in the electronics, computing, infrastructure, and tourism sectors. PACEID aims to forge strategic partnerships that will drive economic development and position Uganda as a tech and innovation hub in Africa.
Cultural and Personal Engagement: The forum also fostered personal connections between the American delegation and Ugandan leaders, including a meeting with Mr. Robert Blackwell Jr., a prominent entrepreneur from Chicago. H.E. the president allowed Mr. Blackwell to establish an analytics center in Uganda. This will create efficient systems, further bridging business relations and enhancing understanding of Uganda’s unique cultural and business environment.
The Pan African Congress Business Forum marks a significant step toward strengthening economic ties and collaborative opportunities between Uganda and the United States.