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President Museveni, deliverng his speech at the forum
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — Uganda has shared its remarkable economic journey and vision for the continent’s future at the 11th Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD), with a keynote speech delivered by a President Yoweri Museveni.
In his address, President Museveni, detailed Uganda’s economic transformation from the enclave economy of the 3Ts (tobacco, tea, and tourism) and 3Cs (coffee, cotton, and copper)—which were severely affected during Idi Amin’s regime—through phases of minimum recovery, diversification, value addition, and now to an economy of knowledge, where vaccines and automobiles are being developed.
“This shows that the solutions to Africa’s development are within our reach,” he said, emphasizing that to unlock the continent’s full potential, Africa must confront and overcome the 10 strategic bottlenecks that continue to hold back progress.
He illustrated Uganda’s agricultural potential, noting that out of 40 million acres of arable land, using just 7 million acres productively—with each acre generating seven jobs—could create over 100 million jobs.
“But jobs should not be limited to agriculture,” he added. “We have opportunities in industry, services, and ICT. The continent must move from pre-industrial to industrial societies. How can a peasant continue producing another peasant? That model must change—we need to evolve new social and economic classes.”
In a strong call for unity, Musevni concluded that Africa’s prosperity heavily depends on continental integration, stressing that all efforts in transforming economies will be amplified through African integration and collaboration.
The Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development continues to serve as a platform for member states to review progress, share experiences, and accelerate action towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063.
Torch Media Africa
