As Uganda deepens its investments in oil and minerals, calls are growing for Africa to move beyond extraction-for-export toward harnessing its natural wealth for the benefit of its citizens.

At the just-concluded Citizens Convention on Extractives, Winfred Ngabiirwe, Executive Director of Global Rights Alert, urged for greater transparency, accountability, and citizen participation in the management of natural resources.

“For a long time, discussions around oil, gas, and minerals have remained in boardrooms among ministries and investors,” she said. “Yet it is communities that bear the impacts and deserve a voice. The Citizens Convention is an accountability platform by citizens and for citizens.”


Ngabiirwe noted that Uganda has made progress through initiatives such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and beneficial ownership disclosures, but said “that information is not reaching the people who need it most.”

“A village leader, a women’s group, or a local miner should understand what’s being extracted from their land and how they can benefit,” she said. “Without that, the promise of shared prosperity will remain on paper.”

But it was Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, Minister of Internal Affairs, who delivered the day’s message arguing that Africa’s biggest weakness lies in its disunity and dependence on foreign markets.

“I am pleased that African peoples, not governments, are beginning to discuss the continent’s resources,” he said. “For centuries, others have defined our wealth and dictated our value. It is time Africa became its own market.”

Speaking passionately about African unity, Gen. Otafiire urged countries to think beyond colonial borders. “I am not just a citizen of Uganda; I am a citizen of Africa,” he said. “If Africa pooled its resources, we would have a stronger bargaining position. But as long as we remain divided, others will keep profiting from our oil, gold, and coffee.”

He criticized what he called “the cycle of cheap extraction and expensive importation” that continues to impoverish Africa despite its natural wealth.

“We export our coffee at three dollars a kilo and buy it back at forty-eight. We dig oil to sell at one hundred dollars and buy fuel at one thousand,” he said. “The question should not be whether to extract, but how to use what we extract for our people’s benefit.”

Drawing parallels with regions that have prospered through unity and industrialization, Otafiire said, “Those who united became strong. Those who did not, like much of Latin America and Africa, remain suppliers of raw materials. No one will save Africa, our development depends on our own effort.”

His remarks echoed Ngabiirwe’s call for citizen-led governance that empowers communities rather than sidelines them.

“We can only achieve sustainable development if communities are treated as equal stakeholders,” Ngabiirwe said. “Accountability begins with access to information and participation at every level.”

Ali Ssekatawa, Acting Executive Director of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), welcomed the citizen engagement platform, calling it essential for feedback and trust-building.

“It is good for us as regulators to feel the heartbeat of what citizens are thinking,” he said. “We encourage this kind of engagement; countries that ignore it end up in chaos.”

On transparency, Ssekatawa said: “It is a relative word. We have tried to be as open as possible; our website updates daily on activities.” He defended limited disclosure of oil contracts, arguing that “oil production is business, and commercial rights rest with leaders and representatives in Parliament.”

Providing an update on Uganda’s oil projects, he said, “Tilenga is 57 percent complete, Kingfisher 72 percent, and EACOP around 60 percent. We expect commissioning by June or July next year.”

Ssekatawa also announced a proposed National Content Fund to support local firms struggling with financing gaps. “The fund will help Ugandan players participate meaningfully in the sector,” he said.

As Uganda moves closer to producing its first oil, both civil society and government voices seemed to agree on one key point: Africa’s wealth must serve its people—not just its investors.