Uganda: Museveni Woos Italian Investors to Boost Uganda's Value Addition, Industrialisation

What the report says

President Yoweri Museveni used a meeting at State House in Entebbe with a large delegation of Italian officials, investors, business representatives and development partners to pitch Uganda as a destination for industrial investment, according to Nile Post, which AllAfrica republished. He urged Italian companies to consider partnerships in agriculture, mineral processing, coffee production, electric vehicle manufacturing and technology transfer, arguing that Uganda needs more value addition and local processing to create jobs and keep more income at home.

Museveni said Africa has too often exported raw or semi-processed goods instead of manufacturing finished products. He used coffee and minerals as examples, saying that processing in Uganda would allow the country to earn more from its exports. He also said Uganda wants collaboration on lithium battery production for electric vehicles, pointing to the country’s lithium deposits and its own interest in building EV capacity. The president framed the opportunity as a “win-win” partnership and said he welcomed Italian firms willing to invest in factories and processing facilities.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja added that Uganda and Italy have strengthened ties since her 2024 visit to Rimini and that Italy has backed several development areas, including coffee, healthcare, waste management and mechanisation. She said Italy had reopened its development cooperation office in Uganda and that a framework agreement on cooperation was being prepared for signing. Nabbanja also cited support for the coffee sector, including funding commitments and a new Uganda-Italy Coffee Training Centre at Kyambogo University, which is intended to build local skills in processing, roasting and quality improvement.