FAO Uganda Country Representative, Dr Antonio Querido addressing Ugandan diaspora-youth conference in Kampala.
The Food and Agriculture Organization- FAO has rallied the Ugandan Diaspora and the youth in the diaspora to embrace agribusiness opportunities to spur economic growth and job creation.
FAO, in partnership with Uganda Diaspora in Agribusiness Network UDAN, has launched the first Ugandan diaspora-youth match-making program to pair young Ugandan agripreneurs with the Ugandan diaspora to facilitate diaspora investment capital into agribusiness.
Formally registered in Uganda, UDAN is a network of Ugandan diaspora agripreneurs who are interested in or are already investing in Uganda’s agribusiness sector. The Network provides a platform that enables the diaspora to participate more in the development of the agricultural sector.
The Ugandan diaspora-youth agribusiness match-making conference that attracted several representatives of the Ugandan diaspora, youth agripreneurs, and private sector actors was held at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala on Saturday.
Through the project dubbed “Strengthening Capacity to Harness Positive Effects of Migration”, FAO is working in Uganda to strengthen the enabling environment for diaspora contributions back home, while also empowering diaspora ‘agripreneurs’ networks.
FAO Uganda Country Representative, Dr. Antonio Querido said the program aims at harnessing agri-investments management skills, diaspora skills transfer, youth mentorship, and market linkages following earlier recommendations from high-level consultations by the world body.
During the conference, 10 out of 33 selected youth groups on the network pitched to the willing and potential Ugandan diaspora to embrace co-investments in the various agribusiness sectors back home to ensure sustainable and life-changing economic growth.
James Ebuk, the Chief Executive Officer – CEO and Founder of Awelo Millers and Packers Investment in Oyam District, an oil processing enterprise and fish breading investment for the last seven years pitched for USD 100,000 about Shillings 380 million to boost their productions.
Likewise, Laura Nakigozi, Co-founder and the Operations Manager at Cloverdale (U) Ltd dealing in commercial layers pitched for USD 30,000 about Shillings 114 million to purchase hot galvanized cages to expand their poultry farm located in Kitemu, Nsangi Sub-County in Wakiso District.
The Chairman of Uganda Diaspora Japan, Livingston Kyeyune, described the initiative by FAO as impactful and expressed confidence that it will tap into the vast resources and the broad networks of Ugandans overseas for social-economic transformation.
Ambassador Johnny Muthahi Muhindo, in charge of the Diaspora Desk in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted that the youth in the diaspora will benefit from the matching through investment returns, product access, and marketing of agriculture technologies among others.
Muhindo also told the conference that his Ministry is working on the diaspora policy to address the attitude and mindset changes to attract Ugandans living abroad to invest in homes in order to facilitate diaspora financial and non-financial contributions to the country.
The 2020 report by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs – UNDESA indicates that Uganda is a country of origin, transit, and destination that accounts for 1.7 of international migrants, 38 percent of which are aged 19.
The report also reveals that the Ugandan migrant population has been growing over the last three decades from 0.2 million in 1990 to 1.7 in 2020. Given the above potential, diaspora engagement in agriculture and rural development is due to challenges such as limited information on investment opportunities.
-URN
