President Museveni urges EU to back Africa’s value addition and promote global prosperity

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has urged the European Union (EU) to support Africa’s industrialisation by investing in local processing of raw materials, creating jobs and promoting shared global prosperity rather than what he described as “parasitism” — a system in which some countries prosper at the expense of others.

The President said Europe has an opportunity to build a new partnership with Africa based on industrial development, economic empowerment and mutually beneficial trade, rather than perpetuating the continent’s dependence on exporting unprocessed raw materials.

He made the remarks on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, while hosting and co-chairing the first Uganda–European Union Partnership Dialogue at State House, Entebbe.

The meeting, held as Uganda and the EU mark 50 years of cooperation, brought together senior government officials and European diplomats to discuss trade, climate action, development cooperation, governance, human rights, security and other regional and global priorities.

President Museveni welcomed the delegation and identified value addition, poverty eradication, irrigation, environmental conservation and affordable energy as key areas in which the EU could strengthen its partnership with Uganda.

“Europe should really help Africa process its raw materials. Your companies should be encouraged and facilitated to work with African countries so they export refined products and create more jobs. We must all process fully so that we all become partners and not victims of cooperation,” he said.

The President argued that Africa’s continued dependence on exporting raw materials deprives its people of jobs, income and the full benefits of their natural resources.

He cited coffee as an example, saying that a kilogramme of unprocessed coffee beans could fetch about $2, compared with approximately $40 when processed, illustrating the potential gains from investing in value addition.

President Museveni also pointed to the global coffee business, which he said was worth approximately $460 billion, while coffee-producing countries collectively earned only about $25 billion. He cited Germany, despite not being a coffee-producing country, as earning about $65 billion from the coffee business.

He described this imbalance as evidence of the need for African countries to strengthen their processing and manufacturing capacity.

“This is really the fault of the African leaders who have betrayed their people. They give away African resources daily instead of maximising what God gave us, especially by selling unprocessed raw materials. This is criminal,” he said.

The President said Uganda’s policy of discouraging the export of unprocessed raw materials was intended to retain more economic value within the country and urged the EU to support the approach.

He added that Africa’s economic potential remained constrained by low levels of industrialisation, despite the continent’s considerable natural resources and growing markets.

President Museveni cited Africa’s combined gross domestic product at approximately $3.8 trillion, compared with about $32 trillion for the United States and more than $20 trillion for China.

He argued that broader economic growth across countries would create opportunities for increased trade and investment, benefiting both developed and developing economies.

“I reject this idea of partial wealth. It is satanic, bankrupt and self-defeating. Why would you be blind and fail to see that your neighbour’s prosperity is your own interest? How can they say trading with poor people is better than trading with rich people?” he asked.

The President said the world should move away from strategic competition towards shared prosperity, arguing that economic inequalities and the exploitation of weaker economies contribute to international tensions and conflict.

President Museveni further said Uganda’s exports to Europe, which he put at €1.8 billion, should increase substantially if the country expanded local processing and exported higher-value products.

“In my view, the €1.8 billion exports to Europe, we should be talking of tens of billions, if not hundreds. That is still suppressed demand because if we were adding value here, we would earn much more than this,” he said.

He explained that Uganda’s increased earnings from value-added exports would enable the country to import more European products, including medical equipment and machine tools, creating opportunities for businesses on both sides.

The President urged European policymakers and companies to plan for Africa’s future purchasing power rather than limiting their expectations to current economic conditions.

“If we were exporting finished products and earning more money, then we would buy more of the European products we need here, like medical equipment and machine tools. We would have more trade in higher-value products,” he said.

President Museveni also proposed that the EU consider becoming an associate member of the African Union, citing the historical relationship and geographical proximity between Africa and Europe.

“The historical relationship between Africa and Europe can be better used. I have suggested that the European Union could become associate members of the African Union because of proximity,” he said.

He urged Europe to support Africa’s economic empowerment rather than policies he believes could perpetuate the continent’s economic dependence.

The President asked the EU to support Uganda’s Parish Development Model (PDM), the government programme designed to move households from subsistence production into the money economy.

He said the programme was central to the government’s efforts to lift at least seven million households out of poverty and expand employment opportunities.

“You help me support the PDM so that we convert at least seven million of the households out of poverty. Support the Ugandans to create jobs; that will be an easier entry point,” he said.

He also called for European support for large-scale irrigation to reduce Uganda’s dependence on rainfall and stabilise agricultural production.

President Museveni said the recent delay in rainfall had reinforced the need for farmers to adopt irrigation systems to protect production against changing weather patterns.

“God has woken up a bit of Ugandans by causing drought. The rain delayed for two months, and I thanked God that He is doing it deliberately to wake them up. We want to launch massive irrigation to stabilise agriculture,” he said.

He asked the EU to explore ways of supporting Uganda’s irrigation ambitions, noting that the country had significant agricultural potential that was sometimes undermined by unpredictable rainfall.

Wetland conservation and affordable energy:

On environmental protection, President Museveni urged European partners to support efforts to protect wetlands and forests, which he said were being degraded by encroachment and inappropriate agricultural practices.

He said Uganda had abundant water resources but needed to improve how they were managed, proposing fish farming around the periphery of wetlands and irrigation as alternatives to destructive cultivation practices.

The President also appealed for support in acquiring earth-moving equipment to construct valley dams and strengthen water conservation.

He maintained that the government would continue removing encroachers from wetlands and forests, stressing that environmental protection required firm enforcement.

On energy, President Museveni called for private investment backed by patient capital to help Uganda provide affordable electricity for industrial production.

“We need either the private sector with patient capital because we don’t want to have expensive electricity. We are ensuring that for manufacturing it should be five cents,” he said.

He further asked the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Sanjay Tanna, to engage the EU in detailed discussions on improving the business environment and expanding economic cooperation.

The President said Uganda welcomed dialogue and cooperation with the EU but expected its sovereignty and domestic decision-making processes to be respected.

He identified political and social issues as areas in which Uganda opposed what he considered external interference, while distinguishing such interference from discussions and exchanges of views between partners.

“Once you don’t interfere with our political issues and social issues, leave us; don’t interfere with us. Influence people, for example, do what you think is right, but don’t manipulate,” he said.

On political governance, President Museveni defended Uganda’s electoral and representation arrangements, citing constituency-based Members of Parliament and special representation for women, youth and persons with disabilities.

He said Uganda was willing to exchange views with European partners but opposed foreign funding intended to influence domestic political choices.

On social issues, he reiterated the government’s position on homosexuality, saying Uganda did not support its promotion as an alternative way of life.

EU reaffirms commitment to Uganda:

The EU delegation was led by its Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Jan Sadek, who co-chaired the dialogue.

Ambassador Sadek said the partnership remained important to the EU, estimating that European support to Uganda over the past 50 years amounted to approximately €20 billion.

He described the relationship as a broad partnership involving governments, institutions, businesses and young people, and said both sides had opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the years ahead.

“Uganda’s voice matters. We ought to work together. We want to be reliable and predictable, working together with Uganda. Fifty years gives us a lot to reflect on and see what to do next in our partnership,” he said.

Ambassador Sadek highlighted coffee and other value-added products as important areas for future cooperation, saying the EU wanted processing and the associated economic benefits to remain in Uganda.

He cited Ugandan chocolate as an example of a product with potential to attract European investment and enter European markets, linking the opportunity to Uganda’s development ambitions for 2040.

The ambassador also said the EU was supporting private-sector development and cooperation in mineral development and processing.

He announced €50 million in new support for conservation and tourism.

Ambassador Sadek thanked Uganda for its military contribution to the African Union’s regional security efforts in Somalia and its wider role in regional stability. He also commended the country’s response to Ebola and contribution to disease control, calling for continued information sharing.

Trade, investment and regional security on agenda:

The dialogue was held in an open and constructive atmosphere, with both delegations reaffirming their commitment to strengthening economic ties and addressing shared regional and global concerns.

The discussions recognised the EU as Uganda’s largest trading partner outside Africa, with bilateral trade estimated at €2.4 billion annually and Uganda enjoying a trade surplus of approximately €1 billion, according to the meeting’s account.

Both sides agreed to establish a structured dialogue on improving the business environment and continue discussions on securing Uganda’s favourable access to the EU market, including through a possible Economic Partnership Agreement.

They also agreed to hold a dedicated security dialogue.

The delegations highlighted cooperation under the EU’s Global Gateway investment initiative, climate action, renewable energy and refugee support. Team Europe is contributing more than €520 million towards refugee-related interventions, according to the meeting’s account.

The EU acknowledged Uganda’s role in regional peace and security, particularly in Somalia, where it said it had provided almost €2.8 billion in support since 2007. It encouraged Uganda to continue contributing to stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and South Sudan.

The two sides also discussed international developments, including Russia’s war against Ukraine, and reaffirmed their commitment to multilateral cooperation and international criminal justice institutions.

They agreed to hold the Uganda–EU Partnership Dialogue annually.

Delegations:

The EU delegation included resident ambassadors and heads of mission from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Austria, alongside non-resident representatives from Czechia and Spain.

On the Ugandan side, the dialogue was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Adonia Ayebare, Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka; the Attorney General, Dr. Sam Mayanja; the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Frank Tumwebaze; the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao; the Minister for Water and Environment, Hon. Kahinda Otafiire; the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Sanjay Tanna; and the Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Amos Lugoloobi.

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