Uganda Defence Minister calls for African resource processing

At the 12th Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, Uganda’s Minister of Defence, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, urged African nations to prioritize local value addition and end the export of raw materials. Representing President Yoweri Museveni, Kiwanuka argued that decades of exporting unprocessed resources have prevented the continent from building real wealth and have maintained a dependency on external markets.

Kiwanuka emphasized that development should be measured by individual wealth creation rather than just infrastructure projects. He cited Uganda’s copper industry as an example, noting that the country exports raw ore only to later import finished copper products. He asserted that Africa’s internal markets are sufficient to absorb its resources if they are processed locally.

During the panel, Kenyan Deputy President Kithure Kindiki supported the call for local value addition, suggesting that African states must invest in manufacturing and skills to capture more value from minerals, energy, and agricultural products. He also advised that Africa should maintain partnerships with all global powers rather than aligning with a single one.