Equity Bank Hosts Knowledge Series to Unlock Uganda’s Economic Potential

April 2026 : Equity Bank Uganda has held Knowledge Series, “Exploring Trade & Investment Opportunities in Uganda,”conevening more than 300 virtual and in-room participants, from international investors to local entrepreneurs, to unpack Uganda’s growth trajectory and the ecosystem of support that’s accelerating it.

Over three hours of presentations and panel discussions, speakers from Equity Bank, the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), the Ministry of Trade, and the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) wove a narrative of bold ambition, concrete reforms, and partnership-driven execution.

Claire Tumwesigye, Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications at Equity Bank Uganda, opening on behalf of MD Gift Shoko, declared, “We’re here to drive Africa’s socio-economic prosperity. Through platforms like this Knowledge Series, we spark dialogue, share actionable insights, and inspire collaboration to unlock Uganda’s vast economic potential.”

She highlighted Equity’s position as the second-largest bank in Uganda with more than 1.5 million customers and its active support for GDP drivers such as agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, health, and extractives. “As your financial intermediary, we stand ready to co-create solutions that catalyze growth in every sector,” she added.

“Uganda has been ranked Top Investment Destination in Africa and East Africa three years running,” said Rita Mugula, Deputy Director for Investment Promotion at UIA. “Our one-stop center cuts licensing time by up to 60 percent, and our bankable-projects booklet presents shovel-ready opportunities with detailed feasibility studies.”

According to UIA data, foreign direct investment has grown, with inflows jumping from US$666 million in 2020 to US$2.8 billion in 2024, a fourfold surge in five years. Uganda’s 47 million domestic consumers sit at the center of an East African Community of 300 million people, a COMESA bloc of 600 million, and, thanks to AfCFTA, access to 1.5 billion customers across the continent.

She spotlighted priority sectors—coffee processing, cotton revamping, agro-equipment assembly, eco-tourism lodges, mineral exploration (iron, gold, tin, cobalt), ICT parks, pharmaceuticals, and vocational-training institutes—each backed by incentives such as a ten-year income-tax holiday for exporters and R&D-cost deductibility.

“Building strong domestic competitiveness is the springboard for winning in export markets. Uganda’s deepening integration into regional blocs—the EAC Customs Union and Common Market (8 countries, 130 million people), COMESA Free Trade Area (21 countries, 600 million people), and the AfCFTA (54 countries, 1.4 billion people)—positions us to access vast markets with fewer barriers,” said Cleophas Ndoreyire, Commissioner of External Trade at Uganda’s Ministry of Trade, Industries, and Cooperatives.

“We’ve built the pitch rail, roads, air links (Uganda Airlines to London, Mumbai, Kinshasa), and border-market towns with cold storage, banking, and hospitals. Now the big ball is in your court,” he added.

Reforms such as the Simplified Trade Regime (SME shipments under US$2,000), electronic single-window, regional yellow-card insurance, and cargo-tracking systems are cutting days off clearance times and slashing transaction costs.

Priya Chanar, Associate Director of Strategy and Capital Allocation at Equity Group, unpacked the Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (AARP), describing it as the group’s “North Star” for post-COVID economic revival. The strategy is anchored on two fronts: vertically, it targets key sectors like food and agriculture, extractives, manufacturing, trade, and services; horizontally, it focuses on cross-cutting enablers like SME development, social and environmental impact, and building technology-driven economies.

“We’re more than a bank; we’re a purpose-driven institution mobilizing $700 million in social-impact grants. Our goal: 100 million inclusive customers and businesses, 5 million borrowing enterprises, 25 million borrowers, and 15 million direct jobs,” Chanar said.

Abdul Qadir Hamza, Group Director of International Trade Relations, said, “Our trade missions turn handshakes into investments. Since 2021, Equity has led more than 1,000 delegates from East Africa, Europe, the Middle East, India, and Sri Lanka on missions across the DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.”

He added that, “Each mission is structured around three key pillars: business forums featuring sector-matched B2B meetings and government roundtables; field visits to farms, factories, mines, and ICT hubs; and robust post-mission follow-up to connect businesses with financing, regulatory support, and solutions to operational bottlenecks.”

Steven Asiimwe, CEO of PSFU, said, “Business growth is our business. In the last four years, we’ve shaped 82 percent of budget-framework policies through dialogue with the government.”

He praised the “tight government-private sector ties” that have made Uganda one of Africa’s fastest-growing business hubs and pledged continued advocacy on taxation, infrastructure, and regional security.

With coordinated strategy, enabling policies, deep-pocketed finance, and hands-on support, Uganda’s path to prosperity is being charted in real time. As Equity Bank keeps opening doors, the message is clear: Uganda’s potential is wide open, and now is the time to step through.