Business 17 July 2026 Nile Post
Tayebwa Pushes OACPS Towards Value Addition, Urges End to Raw Mineral Exports
Uganda's Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, also President of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly, has called on member states to prioritize trade, industrialization, and value addition. He specifically urged the bloc to cease exporting raw minerals and instead focus on processing them domestically to boost economic growth and citizen livelihoods. Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/357037/tayebwa-urges-oacps-to-champion-value-addition-and-end-raw-mineral-exports
Thomas Tayebwa, Uganda’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament and current President of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Parliamentary Assembly, has implored the 79-member bloc to place trade, industrialization, and value addition at the forefront of their development strategies.
Speaking at the 121st OACPS Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels, Tayebwa emphasized the need for the organization to address practical economic issues that directly benefit its citizens. He argued that the OACPS’s future relevance hinges on its capacity to champion policies that foster job creation, strengthen industries, and ensure member states gain maximum value from their natural resources.
A key concern highlighted by Tayebwa is the persistent export of unprocessed minerals from many African and developing nations. He echoed President Yoweri Museveni’s long-standing position that true prosperity cannot be achieved while exporting raw materials and importing finished goods. “We need to start tackling the hard questions relevant to our people,” Tayebwa stated, citing the export of unprocessed minerals as a prime example.
Statistics reveal that Africa holds approximately 20 percent of the world’s mineral wealth, valued at $29.5 trillion, yet loses significant economic potential due to the export of ores and concentrates. This practice allows other nations to capture the bulk of the value chain through manufacturing, effectively exporting employment and industrial growth alongside raw resources.
Tayebwa pointed to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s experience with domestic cobalt processing as a model for economic transformation. He also used the example of the global coffee market, where producing countries receive a mere fraction of the total value, to underscore the importance of investing in local processing and manufacturing industries.
He warned that without a redefinition of priorities towards issues impacting ordinary citizens, the OACPS risks becoming irrelevant. “If we don’t tackle such issues, then the organisation will not be relevant to our people,” he asserted, advocating for a focus on topics that drive economic transformation.
The OACPS, which unites countries from Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, aims to foster cooperation in trade, sustainable development, and political dialogue. Tayebwa stressed that the organization should leverage its collective influence to promote policies that enhance value addition, industrialization, and regional integration, thereby accelerating economic progress for its member states.