Nairobi, Kenya- President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni joined fellow Heads of State, policymakers and private sector leaders at the Africa We Build Summit 2026 held at the JW Marriott Hotel Nairobi, where he called for a coordinated and strategic approach to infrastructure development as a catalyst for Africa’s industrial transformation. The high-level, two-day summit hosted by the Africa Finance Corporation in collaboration with the Government of Kenya brought together leaders from across the continent and beyond to explore practical pathways for unlocking Africa’s economic potential through large-scale infrastructure and industrial projects.
President Museveni commended William Ruto for convening the summit, noting its importance in shaping Africa’s development trajectory. He emphasized that infrastructure investment must go beyond standalone projects and instead form part of an integrated framework linking transport, energy, and digital systems to productive sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and small and medium enterprises. “The transformation of Africa requires moving priority infrastructure projects from conception to implementation through coordinated planning and regional cooperation,” President Museveni said, underscoring the need for synergy across borders. He observed that despite its vast natural resources, youthful population, and expansive land, Africa’s economic growth remains constrained by structural bottlenecks. He highlighted the need to address governance challenges, including instability driven by sectarianism and weak institutions, which continue to undermine development efforts. He called for strengthened state institutions, national unity, and security as essential foundations for sustainable economic transformation.
A central theme of the President’s remarks was the importance of value addition. He urged African countries to shift away from exporting raw materials and instead prioritize local processing and manufacturing. According to him, value addition in commodities such as cotton, coffee, minerals, and petroleum would significantly boost revenues, create jobs, and expand industrial capacity across the continent. President Museveni also stressed the prudent use of borrowed funds, advocating for investment in productive sectors such as electricity generation, railways, fuel pipelines, and industrial manufacturing. He described such investments as strengthening “the bone marrow of the economy” the core systems necessary for long-term growth and industrialisation.
Reaffirming Uganda’s commitment to regional integration, the President highlighted ongoing investments in infrastructure connectivity, petroleum development, steel production, vaccine manufacturing, and refining capacity. He noted that these initiatives are designed to promote shared prosperity across East Africa while enhancing Africa’s competitiveness on the global stage. The President further emphasized the importance of expanding intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework, describing market integration as critical for attracting investment and supporting large-scale production.
In his keynote address, President William Ruto stressed the urgency of positioning infrastructure as the engine of industrialisation, noting that Africa’s manufacturing sector has remained stagnant at approximately 10 percent of global output. He called for stronger political resolve to enhance connectivity, facilitate the movement of raw materials and intermediate goods, and accelerate industrial growth.
Prominent industrialist Aliko Dangote also commended President Museveni’s policy direction, particularly his stance on value addition. He expressed readiness to support refinery development in East Africa, drawing from similar investments in Nigeria. The summit concluded with a strong call for African governments, development finance institutions, and private sector actors to align efforts toward coordinated infrastructure financing that advances industrialisation, economic resilience, and long-term prosperity across the continent.
