The Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) hosted Mr. Odrek Rwabwogo, Uganda’s Presidential Advisor on Exports and Industrial Development, as the featured guest in the latest installment of its flagship Horizons Discussion series — the main dialogue platform of Horizons journal.
In a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation with CIRSD President and Horizons Editor-in-Chief Vuk Jeremić, Rwabwogo offered powerful reflections on Africa’s industrial potential, the legacy of miseducation, and the kind of leadership needed to usher in a new era of development across the continent.
The discussion coincides with the publication of the 30th issue of Horizons, which focuses in part on Africa — “the world’s most dynamically growing continent and the beating heart of the Global South.”
Rwabwogo shared personal insights from a formative experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he spent four months in a remote South Sudanese village. “Contradictions get you thinking,” he said. “I saw a community sitting on gold and ancient grains — rich in natural resources and cultural knowledge — yet among the poorest globally. What was missing wasn’t intelligence or potential. It was leadership and access.”
On the broader African story, Rwabwogo remarked: “Education is vital, but what truly transforms a society is relevant knowledge and compassionate leadership — leadership that walks ahead with vision, beside with humility, and behind to lift up those who fall.”
He emphasized the importance of a bottom-up development strategy, including a rethinking of education systems: “Africa had Timbuktu before Oxford. But we abandoned what we had and took up models that don’t always serve our people. We don’t need everyone to get a university degree to build a car or make a bicycle. We need skills, exposure, and purpose.”
The conversation also addressed Africa’s extractive relationship with global markets. Referring to Uganda’s sale of $175 million worth of green coffee — later re-exported by a European country for $4.5 billion — Rwabwogo said: “This isn’t just about unfair trade — it’s about lost opportunity. Africa must retain value. That’s the key to jobs, dignity, and real transformation.”
When asked why Uganda is increasingly attracting attention from global investors, Rwabwogo identified three key advantages:
- Rapid economic growth: “Uganda is like a teenager — growing fast, consuming a lot, and hungry for opportunity.”
- Young, educated population: “We now have 15 million children in school. That’s a labor force and a market no investor should ignore.”
- Stability and openness: “For 40 years, Uganda has remained stable. You can bring in capital, make returns, and take your profits out freely. It’s a truly open, private sector-led economy.”
Speaking about the future of East Africa and regional conflict resolution, Rwabwogo was cautiously optimistic: “Conflicts once engulfed nearly 40% of the continent — today, that figure is closer to 10–15%. Africa is learning to speak with one voice. If we are allowed to lead — without external interference — we can bring peace and prosperity to our region.”
This episode of Horizons Discussion reinforces CIRSD’s mission to convene influential global voices in an open, uncensored forum — where diverse perspectives collide, and the future is debated with clarity.
The full conversation is available now on CIRSD’s YouTube channel.
