Museveni Champions African Self-Reliance at Regional Development Forum

President Yoweri Museveni delivered a powerful address at the 11th Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) held at the prestigious Speke Resort Munyonyo, urging African nations to embrace self-reliance and regional integration to overcome persistent development challenges.

The 80-year-old leader, speaking to a hall filled with regional delegates, detailed Uganda’s remarkable economic transformation, showcasing a journey from a colonial-era resource-dependent economy to a modern, diversified landscape. “We’ve moved from an enclave economy to recovery, diversification, value addition and now innovation with vaccines and automobiles,” he declared, painting a vivid picture of progress.

Museveni highlighted Uganda’s vast agricultural potential, asserting that utilizing just a fraction of the nation’s arable land could generate over 100 million jobs. “If we use just 7 million acres, with each acre creating 7 jobs, we can generate over 100 million jobs,” he emphasized, extending his vision to include industrial, service, and ICT sectors.

However, the President also identified ten strategic bottlenecks hindering Uganda’s progress, including unemployment and underutilized resources, stressing that the solutions lie within Africa itself. “We must go from pre-industrial to industrial societies,” he asserted, advocating for African integration to elevate the continent beyond its current economic constraints.

His address resonated with the delegates, who applauded his vision for a self-reliant Africa. The ARFSD, aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063, served as a platform for peer learning and innovative strategies.

Uganda’s economic progress, showcased by surpluses in maize and milk production, reinforced Museveni’s claims of diversification. The forum, with its theme “Stimuler la création d’emplois et la croissance économique grâce à des solutions durables,” marked a significant milestone for Uganda as host.

Delegates left the Speke Resort Munyonyo, under its striking geometric ceiling, with a renewed commitment to advancing sustainable development across the continent, inspired by Museveni’s call for unity and self-determination. A group photo of the President and delegates symbolized the spirit of regional collaboration.