Makerere University Opens 2025 Uganda Entrepreneurship Congress & Youth Expo
“Brewing Prosperity: Youth Entrepreneurship in Uganda’s Coffee Value Chain”
Kampala, Uganda
Makerere University has officially opened the two-day Uganda Entrepreneurship Congress and Youth Expo 2025, rallying Uganda’s brightest young innovators, policymakers, and business leaders under the theme “Brewing Prosperity: Youth Entrepreneurship in Uganda’s Coffee Value Chain.”
Hosted by the Makerere University Entrepreneurship and Outreach Centre under the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), the event runs from October 16–17, 2025, at the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium and Freedom Square, bringing together over 600 student entrepreneurs and industry stakeholders.
A Celebration of Innovation and Enterprise
Opening the Congress, Mr. Odrek Rwabwogo, Chairperson of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), challenged students to “turn local potential into exportable products,” emphasizing that Uganda’s youth must view entrepreneurship not just as a fallback, but as a national growth strategy.
The Keynote Address was delivered by Mr. Moses Nyabila, CEO of aBi Development Ltd, who urged government and universities to invest in youth-led agritech innovations, noting that “sustainability in Uganda’s coffee value chain depends on the creativity and inclusion of its young people.”
The event also featured a special presentation by Hon. Chief Justice Alfonse Chigamony Owiny-Dollo, who shared lessons from the Acholi region’s coffee value initiatives, highlighting how structured cooperatives and youth training programs can boost rural employment.
Over 300 Student Innovations Unveiled
Students from CoBAMS showcased over 300 innovations, spanning agritech tools, coffee-based product lines, branding concepts, and mobile applications designed to bridge producers to markets. Many of the prototypes aim to add value along the coffee supply chain — from bean to brew.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe praised the students’ ingenuity, saying,
“Makerere is not only a center of learning — it is a hub of solutions. The innovations we’re seeing today represent the entrepreneurial spirit that will shape Uganda’s industrial future.”
Empowering Youth in the Coffee Value Chain
Uganda remains one of Africa’s top coffee exporters, yet youth participation has largely been limited to early-stage production. This year’s Congress aims to change that narrative by linking young entrepreneurs to opportunities in processing, packaging, branding, and export marketing.
Panels throughout the two days explore:
Financing youth enterprises
Digital innovation in agribusiness
Gender inclusion and cooperative models
Policy pathways for youth-led trade expansion
According to organizers, the Congress also seeks to influence policy reforms that can ease access to credit, technology, and land for young entrepreneurs.
Looking Ahead: From Expo to Enterprise
Day Two will feature pitch competitions, coffee cupping demonstrations, stakeholder roundtables, and a youth innovation awards ceremony recognizing outstanding projects that align with Uganda’s national export agenda.
By the close of the Congress, organizers expect to establish partnership frameworks connecting youth enterprises with cooperatives, investors, and export markets — all under a unified goal: transforming Uganda’s coffee sector into a youth-driven economic powerhouse.
Event Summary
📍 Venue: Makerere University, Yusuf Lule Auditorium & Freedom Square
Dates: October 16–17, 2025
🎯 Theme: “Brewing Prosperity: Youth Entrepreneurship in Uganda’s Coffee Value Chain”
👩🏽🎓 Participants: 600+ students, 300+ innovations, policymakers, private sector leaders
🏆 Organizers: Makerere University Entrepreneurship and Outreach Centre (CoBAMS)
“We must empower our youth to own the entire coffee value chain — from bean to brand.”
— Mr. Odrek Rwabwogo, PACEID Chairperson“These young innovators are proving that Uganda’s next billion-shilling businesses will come from its universities.”
— Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor, Makerere University“Coffee is not just a crop — it’s a catalyst for entrepreneurship and national transformation.”
— Mr. Moses Nyabila, aBi Development Ltd.
