Trade experts to craft ways of Uganda achieving tenfold growth by 2040
Key ideas to be discussed include how to implement trade-led solutions to scale agro-industrial value chains, application of trade policy for trade order, increased production, product quality and standardisation.
According to trade state minister Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, Uganda’s tenfold growth strategy is anchored on four key areas of economic transformation, also known as ATMS. (File photo)
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Experts in trade and industry are convening to advance Uganda's trade-driven transformation agenda.
The two-day trade review conference at the Speke Resort in Munyonyo in Kampala city is starting today, March 4, 2026, and is expected to have insightful discussions, networking, and strategic planning for Uganda's trade transformation from a $50 billion economy to a $500 billion economy by 2040.
Great Lakes Safaris chief executive director Amos Wekesa. (Courtesy photo)
The conference has been convened by the trade ministry (MTIC) in strategic collaboration with TradeMark Africa and UK International Development.
According to trade state minister Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, Uganda’s tenfold growth strategy is anchored on four key areas of economic transformation, also known as ATMS: Agro-industrialisation, tourism development, mineral-based industrialisation, and science, technology & innovation, including ICT and the creative industry.
These sectors, according to the Government, have the potential to unlock massive economic value. For instance, agro-industrialisation alone has a value-add potential of $20 billion, while the tourism sector could generate up to $50 billion. By investing in these priority areas, Uganda is laying the foundation for inclusive growth, job creation, and sustainable wealth generation.
So, to chart ways of unlocking the potential of these ATMS, trade and development experts are expected to share tips on how they can be positioned for the targeted growth to be realised.
British High Commissioner to Uganda Lisa Chesney.
Key ideas to be discussed include how to implement trade-led solutions to scale agro-industrial value chains, application of trade policy for trade order, increased production, product quality and standardisation.
It will examine how Uganda can position trade in services as a central driver of structural transformation by assessing the competitiveness of its services sectors, and how these can penetrate regional markets under the East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The other area that will be explored is the co-operatives as market-driven engines of export growth and competitiveness, among others.
The conference is running under the theme: Trade-Driven Transformation: Propelling Uganda to a $500B Economy by 2040.
Some of the key speakers and distinguished guests at the conference include British High Commissioner to Uganda Lisa Chesney, industry state minister David Bahati, TradeMark Africa country director (Uganda and South Sudan) Anna Nambooze, National Planning Authority board chairperson Dr Pamela Mbabazi and Great Lakes Safaris chief executive director Amos Wekesa.