Uganda invites global miners and investors to explore expanding opportunities

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📍 SYDNEY
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Uganda has announced to the international community that it is open for investment in its rapidly developing mining industry.

With new mineral discoveries and the need for additional capital to develop existing resources, the East African nation, also called the Pearl of Africa, is positioning itself as a premier destination for mining ventures.

Vincent Kedi, the assistant commissioner in charge of licensing and mineral administration at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, extended this invitation during his presentation at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) + Expo held in Sydney, Australia on Thursday (October 23).

Uganda’s High Commissioner to Australia, Dorothy Hyuha, and her deputy, Amb. Patrick Guma Muganda, were also in attendance.

From left, Vincent Kedi, Amb. Dorothy Hyuha and Amb. Patrick Guma Muganda

IMARC is one of the world’s most influential mining industry gatherings, attracting global leaders, investors, and policymakers who come together to share ideas, innovations, and opportunities shaping the future of mining.

“We are fast-growing in the mineral space. Beyond oil, we continue to discover a range of valuable and rare minerals. We are seeking investors to partner with us in exploration, development, and value addition,” Kedi told a full house of officials, investors, and decision-makers.

Kedi assured investors that the Ugandan government has established strong legal and regulatory frameworks to protect both investors and local communities. In addition, the government has implemented several initiatives to streamline operations, reduce costs, and minimise disruptions in the mining sector.

“As a government, we have addressed key challenges affecting the mining industry. We have installed modern analytical equipment, trained staff in geosciences, and strengthened institutional capacity to support exploration and production,” he said.

To further build local capacity, Uganda has established two beneficiation centres in Ntungamo district and Fort Portal city to train Ugandans in mining and mineral processing. These centres also help in training Ugandans in mineral buying and provide hands-on, on-the-job geoscience training to promote skills development and technology transfer.

While Uganda is widely recognised for its oil and gas potential, the country is also richly endowed with a variety of minerals, including gold, copper, cobalt, nickel, iron ore, tin, tantalite, tungsten, chromite, lead, rare earth elements (REEs), manganese, lithium, graphite, uranium, phosphate, vermiculite, limestone, marble, glass sand, kaolin, feldspar, bentonite, gemstones, and geothermal resources.

Kedi said that, currently though, Uganda is prioritising value addition through several industrial developments, including nine gold refineries in Entebbe and Kampala, five cement plants, a fertiliser manufacturing facility in Tororo, a tin smelting plant in Mbarara, and integrated iron and steel manufacturing plants in Jinja and Iganga.

There is still a need for more to address the potential required.

“With all these developments, we invite investors to explore and evaluate opportunities across the entire mining value chain, from exploration and mine development to establishing processing or smelting facilities, warehouses, workshops, or laboratories. Uganda is ready for partnership and investment,” said Kedi.

During the conference, delegates also participated in various presentations and toured the state-of-the-art mining technologies showcased at the expo.