With over 60% of Uganda’s population categorised as youth, Makerere University—one of the country’s leading institutions with the highest concentration of young people—is stepping up efforts to empower youth through entrepreneurship and innovation.
According to Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, more than 10,000 students graduate from Makerere University every year, many of whom face the tough reality of unemployment. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) reports that youth unemployment (ages 18–30) currently stands at 16.1% (2024).
To address this challenge, Makerere University, in partnership with the Government of Uganda, the private sector, and industry players, has been implementing programmes to unlock the entrepreneurial potential of students and young people across the country.
Through its College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), the university operates the Makerere University Entrepreneurship and Outreach Centre, which is dedicated to nurturing Uganda’s next generation of entrepreneurs.
This year, the Centre will host the Uganda Entrepreneurship Congress and Youth Expo 2025 from October 16–17, 2025, under the theme “Brewing Prosperity: Youth Entrepreneurship in Uganda’s Coffee Value Chain.”
The two-day event will bring together over 600 students from CoBAMS to showcase innovative ideas and business solutions with the potential to scale into sustainable enterprises. The focus on coffee underscores the sector’s importance to Uganda’s economy. By June 2024, Uganda had exported 667,037 kilograms of coffee worth US$162.36 million, highlighting its role as a key foreign exchange earner.
However, despite the sector’s significance, many young Ugandans remain excluded from the coffee value chain, particularly in higher-value areas such as processing, branding, and export. With 78% of Uganda’s population under 30, this gap represents both a pressing challenge and a powerful opportunity for inclusive growth.
“During the Congress and Expo, over 600 youth will be equipped with new skills to join and innovate in the coffee industry,” said Dr Sarah Bimbona, Lecturer at the College of Business and Management Sciences and Director of the Makerere University Entrepreneurship and Outreach Centre.
The event will convene entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and private sector leaders to explore how youth-driven innovation can transform Uganda’s coffee industry—from climate-smart farming and agritech to value addition, branding, and global market access.
The event, held at the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium at Makerere University, featured Mr Odrek Rwabwogo (PACEID) as Chief Guest, with a keynote on financing and a powerful case study by Chief Justice Owiny-Dollo detailing youth entrepreneurship in the Acholi coffee value chain.
The Innovation and Youth Expo will take place on October 17, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Makerere University Freedom Square, featuring youth-led coffee brands, agritech prototypes, brewing demonstrations, and live coffee cupping sessions.
Key partners include the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, National Coffee Research Initiative (NaCORI), BRAC Uganda, Tooke, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, Mountain Harvest, Pepsi, Rainforest Alliance, Sumz, and the Banana Industrial Research & Development Centre.
By promoting youth entrepreneurship in the coffee value chain, Makerere University aims to transform Uganda’s largest agricultural export into a powerful driver of job creation, innovation, and sustainable prosperity.