Rwabwogo calls for more trade among African states
“Let’s stop fearing each other as Africans; we have the same heritage and cultures. We need to trade more with each other for deeper connectivity,” he said during the Nigeria-Uganda Trade Dialogue Webinar on May 7, 2025.
Rwabwogo (second right) flanked by Nigeria's ambassador to Uganda John Shama Shaga (left) and PACEID's director of marketing and communications, Brenda Katarikawe (right) after the virtual dialogue on May 7, 2025. (Courtesy photo)
Umaru Kashaka
Journalist @New Vision
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The chairman of Uganda’s Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), Odrek Rwabwogo, has called for increased trade among African countries.
“Let’s stop fearing each other as Africans; we have the same heritage and cultures. We need to trade more with each other for deeper connectivity,” he said during the Nigeria-Uganda Trade Dialogue Webinar on May 7, 2025.
Rwabwogo, who doubles as President Yoweri Museveni's senior advisor on special duties, also called for urgent removal of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) not only between Uganda and Nigeria but across the continent.
He noted that NTBs are increasingly being used by other continents to restrict African access to global markets.
The virtual dialogue was coordinated by PACEID and organised by Uganda’s trade representative to Nigeria, Ani Charles Bassey-Eyo.
It aimed to identify barriers to bilateral trade and create actionable strategies to unlock trade and investment between the two countries.
The PACEID boss underscored the critical importance of Nigeria as a trade partner, describing its market as a key growth frontier for Ugandan exports.
What others said
John Shama Shaga, Nigeria's High Commissioner to Uganda, reiterated the importance of fostering stronger trade and investment ties between the two countries.
Achimugu Franca, the officer in charge of strategy and planning at the Nigerian African Continental Free Trade Area coordination office, advocated for intra-African trade, which gives access to a $3.4 trillion market and 1.4 billion people.
“We need to leverage each other’s strengths to grow exports and realise our full export potential as Africans," she said.
Franca encouraged Ugandans to explore investment opportunities in agriculture (fertiliser, agro-tech, rubber, and seed oil), manufacturing (plastics, cement, beverages), and the services sector (fintech and logistics).
As a way forward to eliminating trade barriers, she proposed the signing of bilateral trade agreements between the two countries, setting up joint investment platforms, and launching Nigeria-Uganda Business forums to explore these opportunities further.
The dialogue was moderated by Olaniyi Omole, the head of Lani Merchandising Support, and Rowena Twesigye, the head of markets at PACEID.