Leaders, business people to market Entebbe beyond borders

Africa Center for Economic Dialogue (AfCED), the Entebbe Chapter of the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Entebbe Municipal Council have joined hands to ensure thorough marketing of Entebbe city, not just inland but across the continent.

The 5th Entebbe Business Summit which is scheduled for March 14-15, 2024 will help bring to light existing challenges, ideas, and solutions while positioning Entebbe as a favorable investment destination and business hub.

The objective of the Entebbe Business Summit and Expo is to showcase the opportunities and challenges of doing business and investing in Entebbe and Uganda, foster dialogue and partnership between the public and private sectors, civil society, and development partners, and identify the gaps and needs for improving the business and investment climate in Entebbe and Uganda.

Entebbe’s investment prowess dates back in history as Uganda’s administrative capital, and today undergoing another revolutionary economic growth, with an array of investment opportunities ranging from tourism, hospitality, trade, commerce, agriculture, and marine transport among others.

With an International airport, Entebbe is the main entry and exit in and out of Uganda by air and is sealed on the peninsula of Lake Victoria. Some countless opportunities and developments are taking shape and will be at the core of engagement during this year’s summit.

Speaking at the launch, Entebbe Deputy Mayor – Kabwama Charles commended the organizers and all stakeholders for this effort.

“There’s so much that Entebbe does that the world does not know and through this initiative, Entebbe will shine outside. We want to assure you that Entebbe is still your landlord so we work hard to fulfill our promises such as building a road network where there will be connectivity and easy access to your businesses. Security wise, the roads come with security lights which help to reduce the crime rate,” he said.

On his part, Julius Nsubuga, Director AFCED noted that Entebbe is one of the richest cities in sub-Saharan Africa because of the diversity of its local economy.

“It has a lot of potential as you well know we have some challenges here and there regarding commercial activity, but all that is changing, and the summit is among the key pillars that allow for these kinds of engagement and collaborations to happen for us to boost the local economy and show Entebbe’s potential,” said Nsubuga.

Chairperson of the Uganda Chambers of Commerce in Entebbe John Socrates revealed that they want to make Entebbe a destination and not a gateway.

“This can be done in a way that when someone enters Entebbe with USD1000, let it not be spent elsewhere, let us be aggressive to position ourselves to be visible so that visitors can spend a good amount of money on the services and products in Entebbe. We cannot do that by only having government interventions but also the private sector is very key to position itself,” he said.

The summit will be supported by the Uganda Investment Authority, Uganda Industrial Research Institute, Diamond Trust Bank, Britam Asset Managers, Uganda Tourism Board, I-Strive MarketPlace, SHIFT Enterprise Academy, and Pakistan High Commission in Uganda.