Empowering Uganda’s youth through fish farming

____________

OPINION

By Betty Tumusiime-Mutebile

Uganda’s demographic profile is both a challenge and an opportunity.

Each year, approximately 400,000 young Ugandans enter the labour market. Many are educated and eager to work, yet job opportunities remain limited.

This persistent mismatch between skills and opportunities has made youth unemployment one of the country’s most pressing development issues.

Addressing this challenge requires more than expanding traditional employment sectors, it demands strategic investment in areas with high potential for job creation, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. Aquaculture, the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, is one such area.

Aquaculture: A sector of untapped potential

Uganda is richly endowed with natural water bodies, lakes, rivers, wetlands, and underground water sources, which provide a strong ecological foundation for aquaculture. Aquaculture allows for controlled and sustainable fish production across various systems.

These include pond-based aquaculture (both earthen and concrete), tank and flow-through systems, integrated fish farming (which combines aquaculture with agriculture or livestock), and recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), which are water-efficient and well-suited to urban or land-limited settings.

Each method presents an entry point for young Ugandans, depending on location, resource availability, and market access. With appropriate training and support, youth can participate across the full spectrum, from smallholder, subsistence-oriented production to commercial-scale enterprises.

Building skills for a blue economy

At the Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation (TMF), we are investing in youth by equipping them with both technical and entrepreneurial skills in aquaculture. Our approach covers the entire value chain, from pond or tank construction, hatchery management, water quality monitoring, fish nutrition and health, to harvesting, cold chain logistics, and marketing.

But technical competence alone is not enough. We emphasise business development, financial literacy, and cooperative management so that youth are not simply producers, but also value creators. Aquaculture must be seen not just as a livelihood, but as a business that can scale, employ others, and generate long-term income.

When youth master these systems, they become more than workers, they become employers and innovators within their communities.

Demand and market opportunities

Aquaculture production in Uganda currently stands at over 100,000 metric tonnes annually. However, the potential is far greater. Demand for fish is growing rapidly, driven by population growth, urbanisation, and increasing awareness of the nutritional value of fish as a protein source.

Uganda also has access to regional and international markets, particularly in the East African Community, as well as in Europe and Asia. To fully benefit from these opportunities, young producers must be linked to well-functioning value chains that ensure product quality, consistency, and compliance with regulatory standards.

This is where support from both the public and private sectors becomes vital. Investment in cold storage, hatcheries, quality feeds, and processing facilities can help young aquaculture entrepreneurs compete at scale.

Sustainability and environmental stewardship

As aquaculture expands, environmental sustainability must remain central. Poorly managed systems can degrade water quality, spread disease, and damage ecosystems. However, when done responsibly, aquaculture can ease pressure on wild fisheries, improve food security, and enhance livelihoods in a climate-smart way.

At TMF, we train youth in environmentally sound practices, efficient water use, proper waste management, biodiversity protection, and ecosystem-based planning. We believe that Uganda’s youth must not only benefit from natural resources but take active responsibility in conserving them.

A call for collaborative action

Scaling aquaculture to reach more youth requires partnership and coordinated effort. Government must provide an enabling policy environment, streamlined licensing, access to extension services, and incentives for youth-led enterprises. Financial institutions should develop affordable credit products tailored to aquaculture, particularly for start-up farmers.

The private sector has a critical role to play in strengthening supply chains, investing in feed and processing infrastructure, and developing export pathways. NGOs and civil society organisations can support training, mentorship, and gender inclusion.

Most importantly, youth themselves must be recognised as central actors in this transformation, not just as beneficiaries, but as leaders in Uganda’s aquaculture future.

Looking ahead

This year’s World Youth Skills Day reminds us that the future of work is skills-driven, not certificate-dependent. Aquaculture provides a practical, high-impact path for youth to build resilient livelihoods, support their families, and contribute meaningfully to national development.

At the Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation, we believe in unlocking that potential. Uganda’s youth are ready. With the right tools, training, and partnerships, they can turn water into wealth, and create a future where prosperity is locally grown and sustainably harvested.

The writer is the executive director, Tumusiime Mutebile Foundation