Introduction
Every November, Uganda joins more than 200 countries around the world to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) – a worldwide movement that shines a spotlight on innovators, job creators and ecosystem builders. Since 2008, Uganda has been an active participant in this movement, using GEW to showcase, inspire, connect, celebrate and strengthen entrepreneurship.
In 2025, under the national theme “Together We Build – Fueling Uganda’s 10X Growth,” GEW Uganda mobilized over 60 partners, hosted over 70 events, and engaged more than 2,000 participants across the country. From policy discussions and conferences to factory tours, university activations and virtual boot camps, GEW Uganda 2025 powerfully demonstrated how entrepreneurs and institutions can pull in the same direction.
Theme 2025: “Together We Build – Fueling Uganda’s 10X Growth”
The 2025 theme underscored the belief that Uganda’s next wave of growth will be driven by entrepreneurs working together with policy makers, financiers and support organisation to achieve tenfold improvements in productivity, jobs, and competitiveness.
Throughout the week, events focused on:
- Women in business and inclusive growth
- Agribusiness, tourism and manufacturing opportunities
- Compliance, formalization and investment readiness
- Youth-focused and digital-first entrepreneurship
- Partnerships between media, BDS providers and government.
Policy–Entrepreneurship Integration: Guest of Honour & 10-Fold Growth
A defining feature of GEW Uganda 2025 was the strong presence of government economic leadership at the flagship GEW Conference, hosted at the Enterprise Uganda Centre of Excellence in Butabika.
Guest of Honour – Hon. Evelyn Anite
The conference was officially opened by Hon. Evelyn Anite, State Minister of Finance for Investment & Privatisation. Her presence signalled clear government recognition of entrepreneurship as a national priority.
Hon. Anite emphasised that:
- Everyday entrepreneurs are at the heart of Uganda’s economy
- Government’s investment and privatisation agenda is deeply connected to the success of MSMEs
- Public and private actors must work together to unlock opportunities for local enterprises.
Her remarks reinforced the idea that GEW is not just a celebration, but a platform for policy dialogue and mutual accountability between entrepreneurs and government.
Tenfold Growth Strategy – Joseph Enyimu
The conversation on policy was deepened by Joseph Enyimu, Commissioner, Economic Development Policy & Research at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED).
In his session on the Tenfold Growth Strategy, he:
- Broke down the national 10-fold growth targets and what they mean for Uganda’s economic trajectory
- Explained how entrepreneurs can strategically plug into policy-driven opportunities, such as priority sectors and government programmes
- Stressed the centrality of collaboration with the statement:
“An opportunity requires that we master something scarce: partnerships.”
Through this contribution, GEW participants were reminded that policy is not abstract; it is a framework entrepreneur can read, interpret and engage to position their businesses for growth.
Role of GEN Uganda
As the national affiliate of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, GEN Uganda served as the overall convener and coordinator of GEW Uganda 2025. Its responsibilities included:
- Mobilising and supporting over 60 GEW partners
- Curating a coherent national calendar of more than 70 events
- Providing branding, communication and reporting guidance
- Linking Ugandan activities to the global GEW platform and narrative.
By keeping a strong focus on collaboration and documentation, GEN Uganda ensured that GEW 2025 would contribute to longer-term ecosystem learning and improvement, not just one-off events.
Role of Enterprise Uganda
Enterprise Uganda, the country’s premier Business Development Services (BDS) institution and UNCTAD Empretec Centre, was the host of the GEW 2025 Conference at the National BDS Centre of Excellence in Butabika.
Its contributions included:
- Designing conference sessions on women in business, agribusiness, tourism, finance, AI, compliance and family business
- Providing expert facilitation and practical enterprise growth guidance
- Demonstrating how structured BDS can help entrepreneurs move from survival to growth and 10X performance
- Partnering with media and ecosystem players to extend the reach of GEW messaging.
National Participation: Over 60 Partners, 70+ Events, 2,000+ Participants
GEW Uganda 2025 was a nationwide effort. With:
- Over 60 partners
- More than 70 events
- Over 2,000 participants
the week highlighted how diverse actors – from financial institutions and incubators to universities, media houses and government agencies – can co-create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship.
Key activities included:
- The 2-day GEW Conference at Enterprise Uganda’s Centre of Excellence
- The Pakasa Forum 2025, co-hosted with Vision Group as the grand closing event
- Factory tours at Psalms Food Industries Ltd (SUMZ)
- University activation with Ankole Western University students supported by NUMA and Enterprise Uganda
- The IMUKA Juniors Virtual Bootcamp for youth entrepreneurs
- Multiple partner-led forums, trainings, exhibitions and dialogues across sectors and regions.
Private Sector + Government Collaboration
Throughout GEW Uganda 2025, one message was clear: national economic transformation requires both entrepreneurial dynamism and supportive policy.
- Private sector actors showcased innovation, resilience and the ability to create jobs.
- Government representatives, including Hon. Evelyn Anite and Commissioner Joseph Enyimu, articulated policy directions and opened space for dialogue.
- Institutions like Enterprise Uganda, GEN Uganda, Vision Group, financial institutions and development projects (such as INVITE and GROW) acted as bridging organisations, translating policy into practical support.
This combination turned GEW 2025 into a living example of the partnerships Joseph Enyimu described as “something scarce” that must be mastered.
Looking Forward
GEW Uganda 2025 has underscored that Uganda’s path to 10X growth is not theoretical. It is being built daily by:
- Entrepreneurs starting and growing businesses in every region
- Ecosystem partners providing targeted BDS, finance and exposure
- Policymakers ready to listen, refine and align national strategies with enterprise realities.
As plans for GEW Uganda 2026 begin, the 2025 edition stands as a national reference point – proof that when entrepreneurs, government and partners move together, Uganda’s entrepreneurial future is bright.
Together We Build – one entrepreneur, one partnership, and one opportunity at a time.