Uganda’s Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has called on African nations to take control of their development agenda, urging the continent to shape its own economic future and global narrative.
Speaking during a keynote address at the 28th Africa Business Conference hosted by Harvard Business School over the weekend, Nabbanja said Africa must move beyond dependency and assert itself as a driver of global change.
The conference, themed around Africa’s agency in a shifting world, brought together policymakers, investors and scholars to discuss the continent’s economic trajectory.
In her address, Nabbanja emphasized that Africa stands at a pivotal moment and must define its own development path, leveraging its natural advantages and growing economic potential.
She argued that the continent should transition from being a recipient of external solutions to becoming an architect of solutions.
The Prime Minister highlighted Uganda and Africa more broadly as increasingly attractive investment destinations, citing abundant natural resources, expanding markets and rapidly growing digital ecosystems as key drivers of opportunity.
She stressed that Africa’s underdevelopment can only be addressed through value addition and industrialisation, particularly by processing raw materials locally rather than exporting them in unrefined form.
This position aligns with Uganda’s broader economic strategy, which prioritizes agro-industrialisation, mineral development, tourism and science-driven innovation under its national development plans.
To support industrial growth, Nabbanja said Uganda is focusing on lowering the cost of doing business by reducing electricity tariffs, improving labour productivity and investing in transport infrastructure, including railway and water systems.
She noted that such interventions are critical to attracting investment and integrating Uganda more effectively into regional and global value chains.
Nabbanja, who has served as Uganda’s Prime Minister since 2021, is the country’s first woman to hold the position and has consistently advocated for inclusive growth and African-led development strategies on international platforms.
Her remarks at Harvard reinforce a growing push among African leaders to reposition the continent as a proactive force in shaping global economic systems rather than a passive participant.