The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Gen Jeje Odongo, has said that the ministry, together with Uganda’s Missions abroad, is at the forefront of designating Uganda Airlines, the National carrier to various destinations worldwide.
According to him, these concerted efforts are being undertaken with the respective Aeronautical Authorities worldwide together in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Works and Transport, and Uganda Civil Aviation Authority to fast-track this designation of Uganda Airlines to Africa and the rest of the world.
“These initiatives are in line with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs policy of implementing commercial and economic diplomacy with the primary objective of increasing export earnings, the arrival of tourists and mobilizing the diaspora community for development in order to accelerate economic growth and development through direct Air connectivity between countries worldwide,” said Gen Jeje.
Over the years, Uganda has signed 47 Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA).
He said in the execution of the cardinal mandate to promote and protect Uganda’s interests abroad, the Ministry and Uganda’s Missions Abroad have been taking a lead role in the following key areas; shuttle diplomacy to revive and operationalise the respective BASAs – leading bilateral negotiations to designate Uganda Airlines to the respective routes worldwide, guiding the Airline in the identification of office premises in the various capitals worldwide where the airline is expected to land and promoting the Airline through Joint Permanent Commissions, Regional and International Summits between Uganda and the respective countries.
“These Bilateral Air Service Agreements provide for reciprocal International Commercial air transport services between Uganda and other countries.”
So far, MOFA has coordinated the designation of the following routes: Kenya – Nairobi and Mombasa, Tanzania – Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, Burundi – Bujumbura, DRC – Kinshasa, Republic of Sudan – Khartoum, South Sudan – Juba, South Africa – Juba, Somalia – Mogadishu, Zambia – Lusaka, Zimbabwe – Harare, Ghana – Accra, Nigeria – Lagos, Abuja, UAE – Dubai, UK – London, India – Mumbai and China – Guangzhou.
So far, the following operational routes have been launched: Nairobi, Mombasa, Kinshasa, Dar-es-Salaam, Zanzibar, Johannesburg, Mogadishu, Juba, Bujumbura, Dubai, Mumbai and most recently Lagos.
The planned routes include; Abuja London, Guangzhou, Jeddah, Riyadh, Lusaka, Harare, Khartoum, Accra, Goma, Lubumbashi, and Cape Town.
It is estimated that Ugandans spend over 400 million USD annually on air travel. Now that these routes have been opened, a lot of Trade and investment opportunities for Ugandans are abound, according to him.
The business implication of Uganda Airlines Nigeria flights
Uganda is one of the leading exporters on the Continent of consumer goods with exports like coffee, sugar, tea, dairy, milk products, poultry products, fish, and horticultural products, etc.
Statistics from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives indicate that at the EAC level intra-exports increased from $1.22b in 2016 to $1.8b by 2020 while the intra-EAC imports increased from $1.43b recorded in 2016 to above $2b by the end of 2020.
While speaking at the 3rd Uganda- Nigeria Business Forum held on 20th October 2023 in Ikeja, Lagos, H.E. Nelson Ocheger, Uganda’s High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, said the excellent bilateral relations continue to progress from strength to strength as evidenced by the launch of Uganda Airlines maiden flight to Lagos.
Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy with a GDP of 440 billion dollars and a population of almost 250 million, presenting enormous investment opportunities in Uganda.
He further reiterated that the Business Forum was convened with the sole purpose of bolstering Bilateral trade between Uganda and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Amb. Ocheger emphasized that the Business Forum is taking place in line with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs policy of implementing Commercial and Economic Diplomacy to achieve socio-economic transformation and development for the mutual benefit of both countries.
He emphasized the importance of Nigerian entrepreneurs investing in areas of value addition in Uganda is key for strategic partnerships between Nigerian and Ugandan businesses.
