State Minister for Trade David Bahati has called on African countries to scale up industrial capacity and leverage on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to boost Africa trade.
Africa’s manufacturing sector contributes just 10 percent to GDP far below global averages.
Officiating at the Africa Industrialization Week 2025 event taking place in Kampala David Bahati highlighted the gap and the need for accelerated industrialization, emphasizing that Africa’s key growth drivers include a young and expanding population, infrastructure development and the AfCFTA which is expected to boost trade by 52% by 2030.
He urged members states to reduce costs of energy, transport & capital,streamline decision-making & procurement and embrace Pan-Africanism for shared prosperity & harmonized policies.
Bahati underscored Uganda’s progress is indistrialisation growht from 81 factories in 1986 to nearly 10,000 today, with manufacturing contributing 15.6% of GDP and exports worth $10.6Billion
H e said Africa’s industrial future depends on women-led initiatives, youth innovation, and sustainable industrial models.
Under the theme “Transforming Africa’s Economy through Sustainable Industrialization, Regional Integration and Innovation.”the event underscores the urgent need for value addition in Africa’s resource-rich sectors, promising jobs, skills, and prosperity for millions.
Hosted by the Republic Uganda in partnership with the African Union Commission, UNIDO, UNECA, AUDA-NEPAD, and the Afro-Champions Initiative, AIW 2025 aims to bridge policy, investment, and innovation. Objectives include showcasing replicable sustainable industrialization models, strengthening coordination among AU Member States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and providing networking platforms for youth start-ups and women-led enterprises.
Expected outcomes include: enhanced intra-African trade, policy recommendations for infrastructure like industrial parks, and guidelines under the Action Plan for Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa (AIDA) and IDDA III.