Govt targets key value-chains to grow exports

KAMPALA - The Government has unveiled ambitious strategies to boost domestic trade and exports, leveraging digital innovation and homegrown initiatives like Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) to transform the economy. 

The plan, announced by Industry state minister David Bahati, aims to position Uganda as a resilient, competitive exporter ahead of its graduation from the UN’s least developed countries (LDC) list.

Speaking at a National Workshop for Enhancing Trade Resilience at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Kampala city on Thursday, October 2, 2025, Bahati emphasised digital tools and localised procurement as cornerstones of the strategy. 

“We’re targeting key value chains for major growth: Dairy, beef, fish, coffee and cassava. Transforming raw materials into high-value products is the pathway to prosperity,” he said, outlining plans to prioritise Ugandan goods in government procurement.

Leonard Zulu, the UN Resident Coordinator in Uganda remarks.

The minister highlighted Uganda’s goal to shift from survival mode to economic self-reliance. 

“Our exports currently stand at $11b, but we must surpass this to counter our $13b import bill. Graduation from LDC status is about building an economy that can thrive,” Bahati said.

Central to the vision is the 10-fold strategy, which aligns with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). With Africa’s population projected to hit 2.5 billion by 2050, Uganda aims to capture growing demand by boosting high-value exports.

UN resident co-ordinator in Uganda Leonard Zulu praised the plan as transformative: Uganda’s economy has a vision to leap from $50 billion to $500 billion. LDC graduation and resilient trade are the engines for this historic shift.

He pledged UN support for trade reforms and inclusive growth initiatives.