The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oboth Oboth, has challenged African countries to shift from exporting raw materials to investing in value addition and industrialisation, saying this is key to transforming the continent’s natural wealth into economic prosperity for its people.
Oboth Oboth said Africa’s greatest challenge is not the lack of natural resources but its failure to convert the abundant wealth into jobs, industries and improved livelihoods.
He made the remarks while opening a capacity development seminar for Members of Parliament from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Africa Region at Imperial Beach Hotel in Entebbe.
The seminar has attracted 42 legislators from nine Commonwealth countries under the theme, “Transformation: Parliamentary Leadership Securing Africa’s Resource Wealth for Sustainable Development.”
The Speaker observed that although African countries continue to extract and export vast quantities of raw materials, much of the processing, manufacturing, employment and profits generated from these resources remain outside the continent.
Citing countries such as Japan, South Korea and Germany, he noted that economic prosperity is driven not merely by natural resource abundance but also by effective resource management, industrialisation, technological advancement and strong institutions.
Oboth Oboth urged African governments to prioritise local processing and manufacturing, emphasising that the real economic value of resources such as minerals, coffee and crude oil lies in the finished products and industries they generate.
He challenged African legislators to use their lawmaking, budgeting and oversight responsibilities to ensure that the continent’s natural resources deliver tangible benefits to its citizens.
He further called on parliamentarians to scrutinise natural resource extraction contracts, strengthen local content laws, promote employment and skills development, and ensure transparency and accountability in the management of resource revenues.
The Speaker also emphasised the need to protect communities affected by natural resource extraction and safeguard the environment to ensure that resource exploitation does not compromise the interests of future generations.
He urged participants to use the seminar to develop practical legislative and oversight recommendations that can be presented to their respective parliaments for consideration and implementation.
Oboth Oboth said Africa’s natural wealth must ultimately translate into meaningful economic opportunities, job creation, infrastructure development, industrial growth and improved living standards for its people.
By Francis Lubega
10th Nov 2026
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