President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has called on African nations to prioritize food self-sufficiency and value addition to agricultural products, emphasizing the continent’s potential to eliminate dependency on imports and create economic opportunities.
Speaking on Monday, February 3, 2025, during a meeting with a group of Gabonese military officers who have been undergoing refresher training at the Senior Command and Staff College in Kimaka, Jinja, Museveni stressed the importance of investing in agriculture and processing raw materials locally.
“You shouldn’t import any food. You can grow and then also process, because we have a lot of raw materials,” Museveni said. He highlighted the economic benefits of value addition, noting that exporting processed goods generates higher revenue than raw materials. “If I sell a kilo of cotton, I may get 1, but if the kilo of cotton is made into shirts, I will get something like 20 from the same kilo. So, when you export cotton, you are donating money to Asians and also jobs,” he added.
The President pointed out that Uganda’s food production is largely self-sufficient, with minimal imports limited to non-staple items. “Here we don’t import any food, except what is not eaten by us. I don’t eat rice because I’m not an Asian. I don’t eat bread because I’m not European. I eat my food, cassava and millet. But some of these people eat rice. They’re the ones who import some rice. Otherwise, all the other foods we have in plenty,” he explained.
Museveni emphasized the role of strong government policies in transforming agriculture. He called for leveraging Africa’s favorable climate and fertile soils to boost food production and ensure sustainable development.
The Gabonese officers, including Major Jason Dimitri Raivire, Captain Stephen Obouba, Captain Stephane Meboung, and Captain Mathieu Collard, toured Ugandan agricultural institutions to study best practices in food security and farming techniques.
On security, Museveni urged African nations to take responsibility for their defense instead of relying on Western support. “Why don’t you defend yourself? Really bad mentality. It’s not good if you have children. When the child is beginning to grow and to walk, you encourage him to walk on his own. You don’t say, don’t walk. I will carry you. Then you enable the child. Why doesn’t the West want their allies in Africa to walk on their own?” he questioned.
The President’s remarks were echoed by officials from Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and scientists from the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), who attended the meeting.