Did Uganda International Trade Fair live to the billing?

For the first time in many years, Uganda International Trade Fair (UGITF), an annual event for manufacturers to showcase innovations and new products, tried to live to its billing.
Instead of simply being a market place as it has been the case in recent years, this time round the trade fair organised by Uganda Manufacturers Association, to a reasonable extent, provided platform for showcasing innovations, trends and new products.

Speaking in a news conference earlier, the board chairperson, Uganda Manufacturers Association, Ms Barbara Mulwana, said local companies and entrepreneurs have been provided space to showcase their innovations and services directly to the consumers.
This, she said was a deliberate effort to connect the local manufacturers directly to the consumers—market.

About 300,000 people are believed to have visited the annual trade show by the time it closed a week ago.
So far, the leadership of Uganda Manufacturers Association seemed satisfied, especially with the agricultural hub section of the exhibition where value chain industry players pitched stalls, showcasing numerous sector products, innovations and trends.
Solar companies were not left behind either. They pitched camp in the Solar Village where they were able to showcase alternative power facilities and the latest solar technologies.

About 24 percent of Ugandans have access to electricity, the bulk of which comes from hydropower and is accessed through the national grid.

Solar energy is therefore, a viable option for providing reliable and affordable electricity to areas where access through the national grid is limited or not available.
In the Solar Village, a single-stop location, numerous visitors interfaced with solar energy experts, view demonstrations for various products and provided instant feedback.

USAID and Power Africa in partnership with Uganda Solar Energy Association (USEA) facilitated about 30 USEA-Member companies to participate in this year’s Uganda UGITF.
Then there was a fibre glass innovation. This is a product that can be used in construction of all type. It does whatever steel does, and according to the manufacturers whereas the formers rusts after sometime, fibre glass does not.
For crafts lovers, there were original and handmade ones to not just admire but also own one. Creativity that goes with those crafts, to say the least, amazing.

And interestingly perhaps were the works exhibited by the pupils of Budo Parents Academy. They made a case for changing national school curriculum without probably even knowing. Their tailoring abilities and processing skills to add value to agricultural produce such as sugarcane is impressive.
All this is in addition to creativity they deploy while showcasing their entrepreneurial ability.

According to the trade minister, Amelia Kyambadde showcasing of innovations, nurturing of entrepreneurial ability of especially the youths and connection between the producers and consumers during the international trade fair defines the relevance of the calendar event.
Speaking in a news conference earlier at UMA, she applauded local exhibitors, saying her ministry which is responsible for the implementation of Buy Uganda, Build Uganda policy (BUBU) will never give up the cause to promote local consumption.
She said BUBU is aiming at promoting the capacity of local manufactures to produce more, innovate and create jobs here.

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