President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Wednesday afternoon held high-level bilateral talks with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, at State House, Entebbe, focusing on trade sovereignty, climate financing, and youth economic empowerment.
During their engagement, President Museveni emphasized that African nations must break away from historical colonial trade structures and consolidate their collective bargaining power through accelerated implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The President stressed that Africa's long-term economic independence depends on building robust intra-continental supply chains and maintaining the strategic autonomy to trade with global partners based on mutual benefit and free choice rather than historical colonial alignments.
Turning to the global green transition and Africa's industrialization needs, President Museveni called for the establishment of a dedicated climate fund to finance clean and base-load energy infrastructure across the continent.
He noted that such financing mechanisms must support a balanced energy mix, incorporating large-scale solar, sustainable hydroelectric power, and nuclear energy, to deliver affordable and reliable industrial electricity without stalling Africa's economic transformation.
The two leaders also deliberated on the establishment of a youth aspirations fund aimed at bridging the continent's vocational, technical, and digital skills gaps. President Museveni underscored that Africa's demographic advantage can only be converted into shared prosperity if the continent's burgeoning youth population is equipped with market-relevant skills, capital, and productive opportunities.
The visit marks one of the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s key diplomatic engagements in the region, aimed at aligning Commonwealth priorities with member states' development agendas ahead of upcoming multilateral forums.
