President Yoweri Museveni has called on East African and broader African regional economic blocs to eliminate trade barriers and invest in infrastructure as a strategic pathway to sustainable economic growth and prosperity across the continent.
Speaking during Uganda’s national budget presentation for the Financial Year 2025/26, Museveni underscored the importance of regional integration and balanced development in unlocking Africa’s vast economic potential.
He highlighted the expansion of the East African Community (EAC), now comprising Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Somalia, alongside COMESA and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), as a foundation for creating a seamless and competitive regional market.
Museveni emphasized that infrastructure development—through roads, railways, energy transmission lines, and digital connectivity—is essential for facilitating cross-border trade.
He warned that poor infrastructure remains a major bottleneck to intra-African trade and urged member states to collaborate in improving transport corridors, energy supply, and communication systems.
The EAC has prioritized key projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway and electricity export lines, which Museveni believes must be complemented by similar efforts across the continent to achieve transformative integration.
He also cautioned against trade imbalances among member states, advocating for support to less developed economies like South Sudan and Somalia through targeted investments, capacity building, and fair trade arrangements.
His remarks align with the AfCFTA’s broader goals of reducing tariffs, harmonizing trade rules, and promoting industrialization and infrastructure development in under-resourced regions.
While economists and policy experts have welcomed Museveni’s message as timely and aligned with Africa’s development agenda, they stress that translating political commitments into tangible outcomes will require robust institutions, effective enforcement mechanisms, and sustainable financing.
As Africa moves toward becoming the world’s largest single market by population under AfCFTA, the choices made by its leaders will be pivotal in realizing the continent’s vision of inclusive growth and shared prosperity.
