EXPERTS: Uganda’s education export boom built without a strategy

What the report says

Researchers at Makerere-based Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) say Uganda has attracted more foreign students in recent years but has not developed a deliberate plan to turn that demand into a real education export industry. The Independent Uganda reported that the findings were presented in Kampala and centered on the view that government and institutions have so far benefited from international enrolment without treating education as a coordinated economic sector.

The article cites EPRC acting executive director Dr. Ibrahim Kasirye, who argues that education should be managed not only as a social service but also as a tradable service that can earn foreign exchange. The report says education service exports rose from $31 million in 2015 to $103 million in 2024, while foreign student numbers increased from 2,797 in 2016/17 to 14,770 in 2024. Most regional arrivals came from Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Kenya, according to Ministry of Internal Affairs data.

EPRC researchers said much of the growth has been driven by conflict and instability in neighboring countries, plus Uganda’s English-language system, lower costs and established regional reputation. But they warned that university enrolment is now weakening, and that competitors in East Africa are building more organised recruitment systems. The Ministry of Education and Sports, according to the report, acknowledged gaps in strategy, data and regulation.

Officials and policy experts quoted in the story said Uganda needs clearer enrolment targets, stronger quality assurance, better university partnerships and more aggressive promotion of programmes in fields such as medicine, engineering, agriculture and ICT. The broader concern is that without planning, the country may lose a regional advantage it built largely by chance.