Business 23 April 2026 State House (Uganda)
Museveni Advocates for Strategic Infrastructure Investment to Power Africa's Industrial Future
President Yoweri Museveni has stressed the critical need for coordinated and strategic infrastructure investment across Africa to drive industrial transformation and unlock the continent's vast economic potential. Source: https://statehouse.go.ug/president-museveni-calls-for-strategic-infrastructure-investment-to-drive-africas-industrial-transformation
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called for a unified approach to infrastructure development as a cornerstone for Africa’s industrialization. Speaking at the Africa We Build Summit 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, he emphasized that investments in transport, energy, industrial capacity, and regional markets are not isolated assets but integral parts of a framework that links to productive sectors like agriculture and SMEs.
President Museveni highlighted that Africa’s economic growth has not yet capitalized on its rich natural resources and large population, pointing to structural bottlenecks as a major hindrance. He also underscored that political stability, national unity, and strong security institutions are vital for successful infrastructure projects and economic progress.
The Ugandan leader urged a continental shift from exporting raw materials to local manufacturing and value addition, citing sectors like cotton, coffee, minerals, and petroleum as key areas for increased revenue and job creation. He advocated for borrowed funds to be channeled into productive sectors like power generation and industrial manufacturing, rather than recurrent expenses.
“Infrastructure must strengthen what I call the bone marrow of the economy, the core systems that support industrialisation and long-term growth,” President Museveni stated. He reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment to regional integration through infrastructure connectivity and industrial production, including local vaccine manufacturing and petroleum refining.
Discussions at the summit, co-hosted by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and the Kenyan government, also featured Kenyan President William Ruto, who emphasized infrastructure as the engine of industrialization and the need for political will to connect the continent. Nigerian businessman Aliko Dangote pledged to support refinery projects in East Africa, inspired by President Museveni’s decision to ban unprocessed mineral exports.
Source: statehouse.go.ug