Entebbe, Uganda – The President of the Republic of Uganda H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni hosted H.E Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema at State House, for high-level bilateral discussions centered on economic transformation, industrialisation, agriculture and regional cooperation. The meeting underscored the growing relations between Uganda and Gabon, with both leaders reaffirming their commitment to advancing African self-reliance, value addition and sustainable development across the continent.
President Nguema congratulated President Museveni upon his inauguration, describing the occasion as historic and praising the Ugandan leader’s longstanding contribution to Africa’s liberation and development agenda. He further commended Uganda for its role in training Gabonese military officer cadets and expressed readiness to expand cooperation in defence training and capacity building.
The discussions also focused on industrialisation and oil refinery development, with President Museveni emphasizing the need for African countries to process their natural resources locally rather than exporting raw materials in unprocessed form. He noted that Uganda continues to pursue refinery expansion projects aimed at increasing value addition, job creation and industrial growth. “Africa must stop exporting raw materials and instead process them locally to create wealth and transform our economies,” President Museveni said during the discussions.
On agriculture, President Nguema highlighted Gabon’s ongoing efforts to strengthen domestic production and reduce dependency on imports. He revealed that Gabon had moved to ban chicken imports while introducing incentives to support local poultry production and invited Ugandan farmers and investors to explore opportunities within the sector. In response, President Museveni reaffirmed Uganda’s readiness to cooperate with Gabon in agriculture, agro-processing and value addition. He pointed to Uganda’s growing success in processed exports such as coffee, tea, honey, milk and yoghurt as examples of Africa’s untapped economic potential.
President Museveni further outlined Uganda’s economic transformation strategy, which prioritises commercial agriculture, information and communication technology, manufacturing, artisanship and services as key drivers of sustainable growth and employment creation. The Ugandan leader also emphasised the importance of supporting the private sector in national development, recalling Uganda’s decision to welcome back Asian business communities expelled during the regime of Idi Amin. He noted that strengthening investor confidence and enterprise development remains critical to economic progress. President Museveni encouraged President Nguema to remain steadfast in implementing reforms aimed at economic empowerment and industrial transformation, while President Nguema pledged to continue embracing ideas that promote African resilience, self-reliance and continental prosperity.
The bilateral engagement reflected a shared vision between Uganda and Gabon to strengthen cooperation in trade, agriculture, industrialisation and regional integration as Africa advances toward sustainable economic transformation.
