![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ugmirror.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Samuel-Fredrick-Mwogeza-Stanbic-Bank-Executive-Director-and-Head-Personal-Private-Banking-PPB-1024x684.jpg\")
Speaking to a packed audience filled with young professionals and Makerere alumni, Mwogeza offered a frank and data-driven reflection on the youth unemployment crisis\u2014but quickly pivoted to highlight the untapped opportunity hidden within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUganda has one of the youngest populations in the world\u2014with over 77% under the age of 25,\u201d he noted. \u201cBut what should be a demographic dividend is becoming a ticking time bomb. Over 4 million young people are not in school, not working, and not in training. We cannot afford to waste this talent,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mwogeza framed the moment as a defining opportunity to reimagine how African economies can create value\u2014by investing intentionally in entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusive financing. Drawing from Stanbic Bank Uganda\u2019s initiatives, he highlighted real examples of how the private sector can be a catalyst for change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One such initiative is the Stanbic National Schools\u2019 Championship, which has equipped thousands of high school students with entrepreneurial skills\u2014aimed at shifting mindsets from job-seeking to job-creating. Mwogeza also spotlighted the Stanbic Business Incubator, which delivers enterprise development support to youth- and women-led small businesses in high-impact sectors like agriculture, oil & gas, and services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Financing remains a key barrier to entrepreneurship, especially for informal and underserved groups. Mwogeza emphasized Stanbic\u2019s effort to bridge that gap through initiatives such asStanbic for Her, which has supported over 30,000 women entrepreneurs with access to affordable financial solutions, and the Stanbic SACCO Programme, which provides low-interest financing (10\u201312.5%) to smallholder farmers to scale up production and increase household incomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur current investment in local enterprises stands at over UGX 960 billion,\u201d Mwogeza shared. \u201cBut we are not stopping there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a strong concluding pledge, he reaffirmed the bank\u2019s commitment to channel up to UGX 1 trillion by 2028 toward enterprises led by Women, Youth, and Farmers. \u201cThis is how we live our purpose\u2014Uganda is our home; we drive her growth. It\u2019s not just a slogan. It\u2019s our strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the panel discussion transitioned into a lively plenary session, audience members\u2014including recent graduates and seasoned alumni\u2014engaged the panelists on practical solutions for scaling innovation and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event served as a powerful reminder that economic transformation is not only possible\u2014but urgent and will require the public and private sectors to work hand in hand.As Uganda and Sub-Saharan Africa look toward a more integrated, productive future, voices like Mwogeza\u2019s are helping to shape the blueprint\u2014one bold investment at a time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The conversation on Africa\u2019s future took center stage on Tuesday as leaders from across academia, business, and finance convened at the Investor Roundtable Summit, hosted by the Makerere University Alumna Association in Kampala.\u00a0 The summit, held under the theme \u201cExploring Opportunities for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Value Creation for Accelerated Socio-Economic Integration and Development of Sub-Saharan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8864,"featured_media":40506,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_paywall_metabox":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[31,9117,240,9118,7004,144],"class_list":["post-40504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-featured","tag-investor-roundtable-summit","tag-makerere-university","tag-makerere-university-alumna-association","tag-stanbic-bank-uganda","tag-uganda"],"yoast_head":"\n