UIA Empowers Ugandan Traders with Leather Shoe-Making Skills

The Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), through its Domestic Investment Division, is currently conducting a comprehensive five-day training program aimed at equipping over 20 local traders with essential leather shoe-making skills. This initiative seeks to shift the focus from importing footwear to domestic manufacturing, thereby diminishing Uganda’s dependence on foreign-made shoes and strengthening the nation’s leather value chain.

Richard Nuwenyesiga, Director of the Domestic Investment Division, highlighted that Uganda’s footwear market is predominantly supplied by imports from Europe and China, which drains foreign exchange and limits local economic opportunities. He pointed out that while Uganda has ample raw hides and skins and a growing demand for leather products like school, men’s, and women’s shoes, many traders lack the practical production knowledge.

“Without production skills, traders are unable to participate fully in the leather value chain, create jobs, or meet local demand with quality Made-in-Uganda products,” Nuwenyesiga stated. The training, facilitated by Big Leather Goods Uganda, covers critical aspects of shoe production. Participants are learning about leather selection, pattern making, stitching, lasting, finishing techniques, quality control, and costing.

Each trainee is expected to produce at least one complete pair of shoes and will receive the patterns to replicate the process independently. Emmanuel Bakubye, a trainer, emphasized that the program is particularly timely with the upcoming back-to-school season, a period of high demand for school footwear. The training is designed to boost local production, reduce import dependency, increase the use of local leather, and foster job creation within the leather sector.

This effort aligns with the ‘Buy Uganda, Build Uganda’ (BUBU) policy by promoting local manufacturing and consumption. Uganda faces a significant supply gap, producing only about 1 million pairs of shoes annually against a demand of roughly 25 million pairs. Initiatives like this are vital for Uganda’s industrialization goals, import substitution efforts, and sustainable job creation.

Source: Uganda Investment Authority