At the Pan African Congress Business Forum (PACBF) organized by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) in partnership with the Africa Global Chamber of Commerce (AGCC) at Munyonyo, 7th & 8th October, JAHL Production (U) Ltd signed a contract with DET Imports from Detroit, USA for first 3 x 20â container of the new ICED Espresso ready-to-drink liquid Coffee product. This followed three months of negotiation on a distribution agreement, test marketing, innovation in packaging, and USA import approval. The initial contract is worth 1 billion Ugx and is expected to lead to sales of 3-5 billion in the first year to the US market.
JAHL was established in Uganda in 2024. It is a partnership with Farm Mountain Global, Randers, Aarhus, Denmark who developed a patented technology of producing a liquid Espresso coffee product using only fresh roasted coffee from Uganda. In less than 8 months, JAHL has established its first production line in Kampala and will be producing ICED Espresso for the global market.
DET Imports is a Michigan-based based dedicated to importing and distributing Ugandan products in the US market. With a major distribution center in Detroit, Michigan, they will work with Ugandan companies to get them market-ready and distribute the products into US markets. ICED Espresso coffee will be the first product followed by Macadamia Nuts from Amafh Farm Ltd. and Tooke banana flour produced by the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) in Bushenyi district.
ICED Espresso coffee is a unique product, ready-to-drink liquid coffee. Packed in a 40ml sachet, it has the following unique features:-
Shot of Espresso. Definition of Espresso: âA type of strong black coffee made by forcing steam through ground coffee beans”.
Versatile: Suitable for Hot & Cold coffee drinks
Taste: 100% Authentic Espresso/Artisanal Brewed Espresso/No Additives/Not a Concentrate
Product variations From Original Espresso Taste/Flavoured Coffee options/Health Boost Options/Energy Boost Options /Alcohol Mix Option
New Innovation: Uses traditional espresso brewing techniques with new packaging innovation.
Convenience: Coffee on the Go/Anytime Anywhere/Quick
Single Serve Portion: No wastage/cost control/low unit price
Recyclable & Sustainable: Fully recyclable plastic packaging/use of espresso grounds as soil nutrition or bioproduct for products such as coffee body scrubs, candles, etc.
Shelf life: over 18 months/ambient travel & storage.
Unlike roasted coffee which deteriorates as soon as produced, the ICED Espresso product has an 18-month shelf life without refrigeration. This means Uganda can exported to the global market and be supplied into the retail supply chain.
JAHL, by producing a retail product in Uganda with Ugandan coffee is delivering real added value to our coffee. JAHL can achieve 5 times the export price of Green Bean Coffee.
Uganda has a major competitive advantage in the world coffee market. Producing both Arabica and Robusta coffee JAHL can blend and roast Uganda coffee for any taste profile in the world market. JAHL has received inquiries from Europe, the Middle East, Canada, India, and Asia and expects to expand to meet these demands.
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.
âI 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.â said the President.
In his remarks, PACEID Chairman Odrek Rwabwogo highlighted the committeeâs efforts to grow Ugandaâs 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 Ugandaâs readiness for business. âUganda must become a nation of manufacturers and exporters of complex goods. By 2062, our exports must reflect a diversified and competitive economy.â
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. âIn many business forums, we sign MOUs, and after two or three months, you canât find an MOU but today, we have signed not just an MOU but an LOP.â He highlighted partnerships as crucial for Ugandaâs ambitious plans to boost the economy from USD 55 billion to USD 500 billion by 2062 through export promotion and import substitution. Â
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 Ugandaâs 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.
During a meeting held today at State Lodge, Nakasero, on the sidelines of the ongoing Pan African Congress Business Forum (PACBF), the President said: âI am very happy to meet you. You are most welcome here in Uganda. This is the right place and time to invest. We have everything here.â
The group, including delegates from the American diaspora and others, are currently participating in the Pan-African Congress Business Forum, which began on October 6th and will conclude on October 12th, 2024, at Speke Resort, Munyonyo, Kampala.
The conference aims at strategizing trade and investment in Uganda as a gateway to the East African Community and Africa, positioning the country as a new technology and innovation hub for Africa, understanding the US standards and Ugandaâs progress in improving compliance, leveraging the influence of the African diaspora in the US, among others.
The delegation was led by Mr. Odrek Rwabwogo, Chairperson of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID).
The investors expressed interest in various sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, food and vegetables, crafts, coffee, banana flour and vanilla.
They also discussed setting up a computer assembly plant in Uganda and positioning the country as a hub for technological manufacturing in the region.
President Museveni informed the delegation that Uganda, like much of Africa, is rich in resources and ripe for investment.
The President reflected on Africaâs historical struggles, tracing the continentâs exploitation by foreign powers over the past 600 years.
He recounted how Africa had been colonized by 1900, following centuries of plunder and the atrocities of the transatlantic slave trade.
President Museveni also linked Africaâs subjugation to selfish leadership, saying, âOur ego-centric chiefs and kings, out of selfishness, could not unite us to fight these people.â
The President further delved into the history of European exploration, explaining how the Ottoman Empireâs capture of Constantinople in 1453 blocked European access to the Silk Road, prompting explorers like Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama to seek sea routes around Africa.
While these explorations were initially positive for Europe, President Museveni emphasised that they soon became tainted by the evil of slavery.
âThe first slaves were captured by the Portuguese in 1441. What should have been a celebration of scientific progress turned into 500 years of exploitation and wars,â he said.
The President also noted that technological advances such as shipbuilding, gunpowder, and the printing press were used not for humanityâs collective good but to oppress others.
On the other hand, President Museveni reiterated his vision for African prosperity, which he sees rooted in production and market access.
âIf Africans want prosperity, it comes from producing goods or services and selling them,â he asserted.
President Museveni highlighted the need for African countries to access larger markets, pointing out that Ugandaâs internal market of 46 million people is insufficient for sustained growth.
âThe fragmentation of the African market is a big disaster,â he warned, adding that African nations must unite economically to avoid the fate of Latin American countries, which, despite their natural wealth, still rely heavily on the United States for prosperity.
âDespite their wealth in natural resources, they still run to the USA for medical care, education, and other benefits,â President Museveni said, stressing the importance of economic independence and collaboration for Africaâs future.
On his part, Mr. Richard Blackwell, a Chicago-based entrepreneur, also spoke passionately about the future of African economic growth and the need to work towards it. Representing investors, Mr. Blackwell emphasised the importance of dignity and opportunity for black communities globally.
âYour Excellency, I have watched many of your videos on YouTube and I was really impressed by your passion for Africa. What I realised is that you care deeply for Africa. When people live in dignity, the whole world can be better,â Mr. Blackwell said.
He stressed that black people should not remain at the bottom of global economic structures, expressing hope for a future where dignity and progress are accessible to all.
Reflecting on his personal journey, Mr. Blackwell shared insights from his childhood, growing up in a segregated neighbourhood in Philadelphia.
Despite the economic hardships faced by his family, he credited his parents for instilling values of character and perseverance.
âOur history, especially the history of black people in the U.S., is often overlooked,â he remarked.
Mr. Blackwell highlighted historical figures like James Forten, a successful African American businessman in the 18th century, who played a crucial role in the abolitionist movement.
He also drew inspiration from Booker T. Washingtonâs 1895 speech at the Atlanta Exposition, emphasising the importance of black economic inclusion in Americaâs development.
âWashington believed that if blacks are excluded from the economy, they will be disproportionately involved in crime. But if included, they can add immense value to the nation,â he noted.
Blackwell further discussed the parallels between the economic models of other nations and the potential for African development. He cited Indiaâs economic transformation, which lifted millions out of poverty by focusing on services rather than manufacturing.
âIn 1991, India reformed its economy, and in just 20 years, it moved millions of people out of poverty. This was largely due to doing business with the United States,â he explained.
He underscored the importance of creating a data-driven industry in Africa that could fuel growth across other sectors, particularly through analytics.
âIn a commodities industry, if you donât have sophisticated analytics, you wonât survive. Analytics will allow us to capture more value in global supply chains,â Mr. Blackwell noted.
Concluding his remarks, Mr. Blackwell called for the creation of world-class capabilities in Africa, starting with Ghana, to harness the power of data and services.
âWe can build something powerful here, not just for Africa, but for the global stage. This is a journey we must take together, leveraging our collective strengths,â he noted.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Matia Kasaija.
The visiting business delegations of sisters and brothers from the USA
Uganda Trade Representatives
Ladies and Gentlemen who came to participate in the Pan African Congress Business Summit
It was in the middle of winter, December 2022 when Uganda first hosted three back-to-back business summits in one week – in the cities of London, Washington DC, and Chicago. At that time, we were figuring out how to deal with the twin issues of post covid economic recovery and crafting a new message for the country on how to deal with trade and exports as the oxygen that would underpin this recovery. As some of you might know, Asian countries recovered faster on manufacturing than Africa given what many thought would be a difficult return to the old manufacturing and distribution chains the pandemic had disrupted. There was an estimate that up to USD4.9trillion (McKinsey, August 2021) worth of manufacturing, food, pharmaceuticals and transportation, would shift from China to regional centers, East Africa among them. This shift didnât happen because China had done some good industrial capacity preparatory work and we all returned to them for industrial inputs and consumer goods, instead of taking advantage of this crisis.
We wasted a good crisis; a very important inflection point at which Africaâs regional manufacturing capacity would have been strengthened to endure further shocks and give us better industrial capabilities. Even for America, there was a survey of about 346 firms on whether they would be willing to leave China and return to their home ground even with incentives and subsidies at home. The survey turned up 79% of the companies saying they werenât prepared to leave China! It shows that economies are planned like raising a child. What you put in early, it will show up later in good or bad ways. Africa hadnât prepared and we missed an opportunity in this crisis.
Anyhow, after these marathon business summits in December of 2022; we kept up much pressure on the US market. We held several mini events in Washington DC; we tried to work with some airlines for a possibility to land in Chicago, New York or Atlanta at a future date, reduction of cargo charges to flights in parts of middle east and Africa; we kept up media engagements (Mark Pursey and BTP Advisors are in the room) including meetings with several US based thinktanks, business groups, the House of Congress, State department and many others. This was in order to consistently make a case for our country to be restored to the AGOA opportunity; to deliberately create more understanding with our allies as well as those who tend to misunderstand Uganda and Africa. We have been in Chicago a number of times to find African America allies and work with them, Detroit, Michigan to find off takers of coffee, dried fruits nuts, and banana flour.
I am happy today that we gather in Kampala to begin this annual event (we hope to do this every July) and work under the Pan African umbrella, given the last time we held the Pan African congress was April 1994. We feel strongly that a home is built by both those who travel and learn (the diaspora) and the citizens who (remain and produce). There couldnât have been a better time to visit Uganda than when we celebrate 62 years of independence and the return of our sisters and brothersâ home!
Why do we do all this and more? Because in a massive global trade of more than USD32 trillion, Africaâs share remains only 3% and even in many areas, productivity of firms and exports has fallen, yet we are surrounded by a rising young population and immense natural resources.
The market of the US for which we are gathered here to build bridges with, is USD18 trillion worth of consumption.
It imports over USD3 trillion in products and services. For a developing country like Uganda to succeed, we got to have presence on this market. To ignore it or simply connect with it only on politics, diplomacy and other areas of partnership, is to miss a good place to begin mindset change on enterprise building. Our SMEs can learn much by having elemental interactions with US firms; our youth and their growing creative and business acumen could be built to an international level and give us future companies with scale. This is why we donât give up on this market even if politics often interferes. There is no time in life when all is clear; Instead, life teaches us to keep pushing on for what we believe is good for the country and for our enterprises. If you take a look at Uganda and its USD200m worth of trade or the EAC at USD1bn, this is small for the US market. Even all our annual trade as EAC block with the world standing at USD62bn, (equivalent to three financial year budgets for Uganda), all of us are punching below our weight. We can do more and better. This is why we bring our allies this week to have a mature and informed discussion on the possibilities of working together for a better positioning for Africa starting here in Uganda.
I should tell you Africa hasnât been the same; we have been evolving and for better. It is good that we remain optimistic about the direction even if we might have questions about the pace of progress.
Letâs take a look at these maps:
Map one: Africa has no agency, no decision making and it is a society of Four classes:
-Sons of chiefs and priests who would be instrumental in strengthening the colonial state,
-Illiterate soldiers commanded by colonial officers who carried out coups and caused instability
-Few Afro-Asiatic and Lebanese entrepreneurs on the coasts and in some pockets in the hinterland
-Massive numbers of peasants, in Uganda more than 96% when I was born in 1969.
Map Two: An Africa beginning to understand where the drivers of prosperity come from â The Market and reducing trade barriers, removing suspicion and letting the private sector speak directly to each other on the market.
Map Three: An Africa optimistic, aiming at USD30 trillion worth of GDP by 2050. Uganda aims at USD100bn worth of exports by this time as we approach a century as a country.
Yes, we still have very high transaction costs on account of:
Land borders â 107 that require 57,000 kilometers of roads, bridges and highways to connect 54 countries. Only 60% is complete in various shapes and forms and 40% including power lines, interest cables, all needs funding of up to USD100bn for some years to come in order to make this a competitive infrastructure compared to Asia, EU and USA. This too is an opportunity in infrastructure funding on pay per user basis.
Rail of 75,000kms for a land surface of more than 30 million square kilometers translating to 2.5km per 1000sqkm of population density of population. Asia is 23km for every 1000 square kilometers of population. There is work to be done but as more clarity becomes available to many of our leaders these days, we will get there.
These numbers are rapidly changing for better. You can tell this from the trade numbers with some of our partners worldwide by the end of 2019:
China -USD259bn
UAE -USD159bn â ports and infrastructure even more
EU -USD150bn
Intra Africa -USD100bn-USD150bn
USA -USD70bn
Therefore, our allies and our diaspora would like to hear and see more work done on trade integration in Africa, productive capacity integration (joint border processing zones), infrastructural integration (work between Uganda and eastern DRC for 100kms inside stopping insecurity and pulling in USD600m in sales) and free movement of the people of Africa (labour and travel without limits and visas) and their trade allies. This should be a rallying cry for all of us â the private sector, civil servants and our mutual friends from the US who hope to invest in Africa. The US FDI into Africa stands at only 13% largely because of these weaknesses.
This is why in Uganda under our teams who we call combat commanders given this mental, philosophical and cultural battles for unity around trade in Africa, are making interventions at three levels we hope to drive this change:
At the market level, we insist on research where we donât have data, better preparation, trade representation, trade hubs, on customer level engagement, retail level engagement etc. The Serbia and Balkans model as you will hear later today (thank Trade Representative Bratislav Stoiljkovic represented by Boris and Bragan), has processing at home of some 6000MTs of our coffee as part of the 40,000MTs we import as replacement, retail outlets, including restaurant level distribution, storage level, technology for tracking products and transactions and assembly of equipment. We combine this with Bilateral negotiations on rates and air travel. This is to help our firms and products get to regional and international value chains in a sequenced manner so we can learn what to do. Markets can also get the taste of our products and in the end invest at source in Uganda. There is no way to do this differently because we would need more than USD2bn to invest in global promotion, money we donât yet have.
At Firm level, we meet companies as they are not often what we expected them to be. We are a young country and continent with few large size businesses. We got to be conscious of the fact that large size businesses that we compete against were initially supported by their governments in foreign markets. We too are building a model to support these SMEs through export orders, working capital and some grants. We have partnered with a fund called Uganda Exim Ltd and I hope the team is here to speak later about this. The fund is in its early stages and has given one grant so far but hope by end of October, more loans and grants at very low rates will be given. The Fund now has more than 46 applicants and it is building capacity to serve export businesses better. In the month of November, we have two grants for DET imports in Detroit Michigan and in Chicago once they demonstrate orders have been picked and warehousing and distribution set. They can also apply for low fee loans at Ug Exim.
At Government level, we work on a Standards and compliance authority for our food safety (Food & Agriculture Authority) to match what FDA and other international protocols require, all under one roof. Our people are here to speak more on this later. We continue to work on infrastructure support on land, air and at sea to get better competitive rates for exporting firms. We also continue to make inroads for bilateral trade negotiations with a number of countries. This October, we will be in the southern Balkans and in DRC for these negotiations on off take of products and launch more facilities. The US/Uganda firms here can supply these markets too. This is why my brother Anni Bassey (Nigeria Trade Representative is here) and Justin Katoto (DRC Trade Representative is here too). Please reach out to them on this. Let us see what we can do together!
Our target for the US partners is twofold:
First, at industrial level, for investment in the various fields, education, cultural exchange and tourism. We think we can reduce the cost of industrial inputs and service skilling from outside if we work with the US firms. Industrial inputs or intermediate goods into Africa stand at:
Europe â 26%
China 15%
USA 7% (small)
Sadi Arabia 4%
India 3%
Africa 16%
Africa remains small in sourcing industrial intermediate goods amongst each other yet 45% of all our value-added goods are sold within Africa! This can be grown to 70% and Africa will industrialize and learn to work together as regional blocs and continent.
The Second need is Value addition to both food and minerals, refrigeration, transportation and firmsâ partnerships. Just think of one sector of animal feeds. To produce 1m tons of fish as Uganda target, we require 800,000MTs of maize and 600,000MTs of soya. These will in the process, give us 100,000MTs of cooking oil we are importing at more than USD80m annually. Who can we get on land, investment, technology and we give supply connection to the two firms that are producing 100,000MTs of fish feeds beginning 2025?
This is the same for fertilizer production for maize. The current 2.3 million acres we use for maize production across the country gives us 1.5tonnes or less, an acre. Simply applying some basic NPK (and there is a firm here for example trying to separate hydrogen from Oxygen using an electrolyzer and add ammonia and even others using animal manure) we could raise to 3.9 tons per acre and earn USD1.7bn a year from maize alone. These projects need skill and capital and this is partly why we look to friends in the US to keep this conversation going. Yes, we need to move our country to the computing age and take advantage of the Generative AI tools and data, but we still have huge competitive advantage on production of food for the world that we arenât using well. I need some support in this area.
Therefore, given Africa and Uganda is industrializing at a time when global value chains are highly fragmented post covid 19, there is increased protectionism in each country that wasnât the case in the 1980 and 1990s when nations in the Far east were rising, there is rapid digitalization affecting low value commodities Africa is in, increased levels of sea costs on account of terrorism, threats of war, etc., I would like us to act with wisdom and haste when we have friends in the room who want to buy our products. This is because we face a vastly changed world that asks us for glass jars for fruits into Europe yet we havenât even started making tins, it puts barriers in the way of our youth scaling their businesses when they give subsidies to the farmers in the west to keep our organic foods out of the market, the US allies become key in the battle for export knowledge and business growth.
Our team and our government will keep up with the following in order to support this work:
Build a pocket of excellence on the matter of trade and exports. We want to strengthen the work done so far and build a Uganda Trade and Exports negotiations center. This will give us a bridge between public sector and the actions you are taking to help us achieve targets on the US and other markets.
Keep directing attention to the layers of complexity of trade and exports with the world. This is so we can create cultural change, a mind shift of sorts to improve our societyâs understanding of the exports and manufacturing as a driver to ending poverty. This knowledge once it tips over, it will be a way of life for the next generation just like we see in many Far eastern countries. This is how we can increase production, keep time and build trust and confidence on the markets you are giving us.
The Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID) has today, at the Kampala Serena Hotel, announced the first Pan African Congress Business Forum and Expo (PACBFE) is set to take place from October 8-12, 2024 at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala. The event is organized by PACEID in partnership with the Africa Global chamber of Commerce (AGCC), the private sector in Uganda and the United States, the event aims to enhance Uganda’s exports to the United States.
AGCC is led by Uganda’s Trade Representative in the United States.
Organized under the theme, âA Diaspora Homecoming: Navigating the Next 100 Yearsâ, the event borrows from the historical Pan-African congresses to make a business case for Africaâs diaspora as the most pivotal economic growth agents over the next century. It further aims to leverage cross-Atlantic regulatory frameworks to strengthen engagements with multinational corporations and deepen partnerships with the African-American diaspora. On July 1, 2007, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni said, âThere is tremendous potential in Africa. Africa is a continent of the future. Just like India and China have become superpowers, in the next 25 years a lot of changes will have taken place.â
The event will be attended by business and government leaders from the East African region, plus the leading multinational agencies, financial institutions, experts in manufacturing, tourism, exports and trade from the rest of Africa. This will provide a platform for networking, collaboration, and knowledge sharing. The event will focus on identifying products and services in demand across US markets and exploring opportunities for sales and distribution.
PACEID Chairman Odrek Rwabwogo has reiterated the significance of accessing the US market for Uganda, citing it as the largest consumer market globally with a staggering $18 trillion economy. He emphasized the need to strengthen Uganda’s trade relations with the US, which in turn would help elevate Africa’s trade ties with the United States.
“This event will not only showcase the potential of Uganda’s exports to the United States but also facilitate discussions on how to further strengthen trade relations between the two countries. This is a platform where political, civil, and aid society leaders will converge to explore collaborative opportunities. Further, it will serve as a pivotal moment for Uganda’s global positioning, aimed at showcasing the countryâs potential and capabilities to the world,” notes PACEID Chairman Odrek Rwabwogo.
Besides being a crucial step in strengthening Uganda’s ties across various sectors and supporting its efforts to re-enter the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) program, the event presents a unique opportunity for Ugandan businesses to discover connection points with the African diaspora in America and African Americans to develop commercial and strategic export partnerships.
The forum and expo will feature panel discussions, workshops, and networking sessions, providing participants with valuable insights and opportunities to connect with key stakeholders in the industry. Attendees can expect to gain a deeper understanding of market trends, consumer preferences, and regulatory requirements in the US market.
On the sidelines of the business forum, American participants will also visit what Uganda has to offer in terms of tourism, trade, and investment; UNESCO sites like Kasubi Tombs and the Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, Mweya Safari Lodge, Murchison Falls National Park, Kira Motors factory, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Bujjagali falls and the Source of River Nile among others.
Present during the announcement were stakeholders from both the government and the private sector who expressed excitement in participating in this monumental business forum. Key among others were officials from the Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda National Cultural Centre, Uganda Exim Limited, United Nations Development Program, East African Business Council, Adventure Consults Limited, Government Citizen Interaction Centre and the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development among others.
For more information about the Pan African Congress Business Forum and Expo, including registration details and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.paceid.org/pacbf.
PACEID was established to tackle the strategic and operational challenges that hinder Uganda’s capacity to maximize its industrial and export potential. By facilitating coordination among Ugandan exporters, producers, government institutions, and international stakeholders, PACEID strives to accelerate the nation’s export growth and industrial advancement.