Akansasira Junior Victor
Writer and Researcher
📧 vj.akansasira@gmail.com
📞 0702969211 / 0785499836
“Fellow compatriots and patriots, allow me to unpack the principles of Musevenomics and the drive to industrialise Uganda’s economy, with the aim of rekindling hope and opportunity for the majority of our youth as we mark International Youth Day 2025.”
Uganda’s youth—defined by law as those aged 18–30 under the National Youth Council Act—represent a powerful demographic force. According to the 2024 census by UBOS, Uganda’s population stands at approximately 45.9 million, and fully 22.7 % fall into this youth category; moreover, more than half the population is under 18, underscoring the nation’s youth bulge. (UBOS 2024 census).
Recently I was listening to Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho aka Salim Saleh on President GEN. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s economic vision—popularly dubbed “Musevenomics”—which centers on macroeconomic stability, infrastructural development, industrialisation, local-value addition, and job creation.
Gen. Saleh emphasized that the critical need to deepen value addition in agriculture as a driver of industrialisation and economic engagement for youth. At the 2025 Musevenomics Conference, he underscored that while Uganda’s coffee exports have nearly doubled since 2019, the real potential lies in boosting productivity and turning raw agricultural outputs into higher-value goods through processing and industrial transformation.”
Also “Gen. Saleh identified significant operational and policy shortcomings that inhibit effective value addition and mechanisation in agriculture. “Weak Value-Addition in Agriculture Limited transformation of raw commodities into processed goods (e.g., coffee), inhibiting industrialisation and youth engagement in higher-value production sectors.” He teaches.
According to UBOS 2024, MTIC Uganda MSME 2025, the government’s emphasis on industrialisation to transform raw exports into manufactured goods aims not only to add value, but also to absorb youth into formal, higher-productivity jobs. While official GDP by youth isn’t available yet, MSMEs—many of them youth-led—account for roughly 20 % of manufactured output, indicating a significant youth footprint in the economy.
Uganda’s GDP in 2024 estimated at around US $53.6 billion, with growth projected around 6 % in 2025 as private investment and domestic demand rebound. While national figures are robust, tailored policies are needed to channel youth energy into productive economic participation. The MSME sector remains one of the few fertile areas where youth contribute substantially to output and innovation.
Look at the Regional Integration policy that is, at EAC, IGAD, AfCFTA and Youth Mobility. Uganda is deeply embedded in regional economic communities. As a founding member of the East African Community (EAC), the country participates in the Common Market, which since 2010 has enabled free movement of goods, people, services, and capital—key enablers for youth mobility and cross-border entrepreneurship. Despite progress, integration remains uneven, hindered by protectionism and political frictions, such as border closures between Rwanda and Uganda. (EAC Common Market Protocol 2010, Rwanda-Uganda border tensions).
Uganda also ratified the IGAD Protocol on Free Movement of Persons in May 2024, initiating legal reforms to ease mobility across the broader Horn of Africa. (IGAD Free Movement Protocol 2024). Public sentiment strongly favors regional integration: approximately 79 % of Ugandans support free movement in East Africa, though many report practical difficulties in crossing borders. (Afrobarometer 2025). On a continental scale, Uganda is party to the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA)—linking EAC, COMESA, and SADC—which officially came into force in July 2024, covering 29 countries, 60 % of Africa’s GDP, and a population of 800 million. This transforms the scope for youth-led trade, logistics, and cross-border SME growth. (TFTA enforcement 2024).
Where do youth find the problem that bars them from taking off in development? Uganda scored only 26/100 in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking 140th of 180 countries. Corruption increases business costs, discourages investment, and disproportionately hurts youth starting enterprises according to (Transparency International 2024). Unemployment has been rampant besides the government interventions. UBOS data reveals that 42.6 % of youth (15–24) are Not in Employment, Education, or Training (NEET), signaling massive underutilization of talent and risking permanent marginalization. (Uganda NCST Budget Background 2025).
Did you know that Skills Mismatch has deteriorated our economy progress as the skills being imparted—particularly in general education—are often misaligned with market needs, particularly in digital, STEM, and soft skills, limiting job readiness? (Read the Uganda Investment Authority commentary). Early Pregnancy and Care Burdens, according to The 2022 Demographic and Health Survey reports around one in four girls aged 15–19 have begun childbearing, significantly disrupting education and labor participation. (EPRC Uganda). Digital Divide & Access to Finance: Though internet subscriptions are rising, only 36 % of mobile subscribers use smartphones, limiting digital inclusion. Meanwhile, MSMEs face a major financing gap due to lack of collateral and risk appetite. (According UCC reports, IFC MSME finance Uganda).
The following are recommendations; We need to Expand Technical & Vocational Training (TVET): If we emulate Singapore’s SkillsFuture and Germany’s dual-training systems by scaling competency-based vocational programs with apprenticeships tied to industry demand, especially in digital and green sectors. We shall grow steadily. The common Wage Subsidies / First Job Schemes: Adapt South Korea–style youth employment initiatives where structured subsidies accelerate transitions into formal work, addressing youth unemployment while bolstering enterprise productivity. Anti-Corruption Reforms: Draw on Rwanda’s integrity frameworks and Estonia’s e-governance to digitalise procurement, register youth watchdog groups, and simplify licensing—cutting the “red-tape rent” that chokes startups.
We can also adopt the “Second-Chance” Education: Offer re-entry support for young mothers—such as school fees waivers, onsite childcare, and catch-up programs—to reverse dropout trends and preserve human capital. Digital Access Acceleration: Reduce duties on entry-level smartphones, subsidize educational data bundles, and establish community digital hubs offering micro-credentials, similar to universal service fund approaches. Youth Enterprise Finance, Much as there is PDM, Emyooga, YLP, OWC, we can Combine concessional capital with first-loss guarantees to incentivise banks and SACCOs to lend to youth-led MSMEs; complement with results-based vouchers for e-commerce onboarding and bookkeeping, inspired by IFC models.
Additionally, a Compulsory National Service Program is vital. Uganda could benefit from a Compulsory National Service (CNS) program inspired by the South Korean model, tailored for ideological orientation, civic cohesion, and skill development. Historically, Uganda’s “Move to the Left” reform in 1969 even proposed a two-year national service for all able-bodied citizens. (Move to the Left 1969 national service proposal). A modern Ugandan CNS would cultivate national identity and civic pride, especially valuable amid digital influences and fragmented media, Provide structured skills training, from agriculture and infrastructure to IT and first response, Enable deployment of youth in community development projects, building roads, schools, and public health awareness and strengthen social cohesion across ethnic and regional lines.
To conclude, President Museveni’s Musevenomics and industrialisation drive, led by Gen. Salim Saleh combined with Uganda’s strategic integration into EAC, IGAD, and TFTA, establish a promising macro framework for youth opportunity. Nevertheless, five formidable challenges—corruption, NEET youth, skills mismatch, early motherhood, and digital/finance exclusion—demand coordinated action. By adapting models from Singapore, Germany, South Korea, Rwanda, and Estonia, Uganda can transform these liabilities into levers for inclusive growth. A well-designed Compulsory National Service would unify young people in service, skills, and nation-building. Coupled with targeted TVET, job incentives, fintech access, anti-corruption reforms, and post-school reintegration support, this multifaceted approach can turn Uganda’s youthful population into the catalyst for long-term prosperity. As Uganda industrialises, integrates regionally, and crafts policies around youth inclusion and agency, it lays the foundation for a demographic dividend that is both broad and sustainable.
Happy International Youth Day 2025.
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