PSFU, AGRA Launch Regional Industrialisation Conference 2026 to Drive East Africa’s Industrial Transformation
PSFU, AGRA Launch Regional Industrialisation Conference 2026 to Drive East Africa’s Industrial Transformation
Kampala, Uganda – 5 May 2025
Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, has officially launched the 3rd Annual Regional Industrialisation Conference (RIC 2026), East Africa’s premier platform for industrial policy, investment mobilisation, and regional value chain development.
The launch, held at Kampala Serena Hotel, sets the stage for the conference scheduled for 18–19 August 2026, expected to convene over 800 delegates from more than 10 countries, including Heads of State, ministers, industrialists, investors, and development finance institutions.
Held under the theme “Unlocking Industrial Competitiveness through Innovation and Regional Value Chain Integration,” RIC 2026 signals a decisive shift from dialogue to execution—prioritising investment deals, policy implementation, and measurable industrial outcomes.
The conference will feature a Presidential Roundtable bringing together East African Heads of State to agree on actionable commitments, a Regional Industrial Investment Forum targeting at least USD 500 million in deals, and an Industrial Champions Dialogue headlined by leading African industrialists. Ministerial policy roundtables, technical panels across priority value chains, and a regional industrial exhibition will further drive engagement.
Speaking at the launch, David Wozemba, AGRA Uganda Country Director, underscored the central role of agriculture in industrialisation:
“We will continue to partner across the region to: raise productivity to create marketable surplus; de-risk agro-processing through structured markets and finance; and align policy to support regional trade in processed foods under AfCFTA. Industrialisation without food security is incomplete. Agriculture without value addition is unfinished.”
The call to action for the private sector was equally clear. Stephen Asiimwe, CEO of PSFU, urged businesses to take a leading role in shaping outcomes:
“We need your firm commitment, active partnership, and full endorsement. This is your platform—seize it. Invest in bankable projects, form strategic partnerships and joint ventures, scale proven innovations across the region, and share expertise through technology transfer.”
Regional integration and self-reliance emerged as a key theme. Simon Kaheru, EABC Vice Chair, emphasised the urgency of shifting from external dependence to regional capacity:
“East Africa can deliver what it decides to deliver. One of our Partner States has achieved wheat self-sufficiency in just five years—proof that when we commit, we produce. No more relying on distant geopolitics. The regional imperative is clear: grow individually, integrate collectively. Tomorrow we should source wheat from Ethiopia, not Ukraine. Substitute external dependencies with East African capacity.”
Government reaffirmed its commitment to translating dialogue into action. Richard Jabo, Principal Economist at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, noted:
“Government has committed to take the outcomes of this conference and turn them into real policy reforms and budget priorities that will drive Uganda’s transformation. We’ve been asked to refresh previous proposals into concrete, actionable ideas, and they are ready to push them forward.”
East Africa stands at a critical moment. With access to a 400 million-strong regional market and the broader 1.4 billion-person AfCFTA market, the region has unprecedented potential for industrial growth. Yet, less than 20 percent of agricultural output is processed locally, and intra-regional trade remains below 15 percent.
RIC 2026 is designed to close these gaps by mobilising investment, strengthening regional value chains, and aligning policy frameworks across the East African Community.
The conference is backed by a coalition of regional and international stakeholders, including PSFU, AGRA, the East African Business Council, TradeMark Africa, the East African Development Bank (EADB), and the Government of Uganda—demonstrating a unified commitment to building competitive, integrated, and sustainable industrial ecosystems.
To ensure accountability, RIC 2026 will produce a Presidential Communiqué with trackable commitments, followed by a RIC Policy Scorecard within 90 days to monitor implementation.
