By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
KAMPALA
Stakeholders in Uganda’s creative industry have called on Government to prioritise the sector, saying it has the potential to significantly boost the country’s economy and address unemployment, if adequately supported.
The call was made on Friday at the inaugural Uganda One Festival, held at Kololo Independence Grounds, which brought together creatives from across the country to showcase Uganda’s cultural and artistic diversity.
Robert Womai, the chief executive officer of the Uganda Federation of Movie Industry (UFMI), said the creative industry remains an untapped source of wealth compared to traditional sectors such as mining.
“Uganda has focused on discovering wealth underneath the ground, like minerals, but we have not fully explored the wealth of the human intellect,” Womai said. “Human creation can generate immense wealth and even go beyond what we expect.”
Womai said the festival was aimed at demonstrating to both Ugandans and Government that the creative industry can play a central role in economic development through job creation.
“There is a huge unemployment gap. When creatives come together, we show the world that creativity creates jobs,” he said, noting that actors, film producers and music producers are already self-employed. “Government jobs are limited. Government cannot employ everybody.”
He urged Government to channel more support and resources into the creative industry, citing Nigeria’s music and film sectors as examples of how creativity can drive national economic growth.
WALK Creative chairman Solomon Aboda, also known as Badman Solo, said Uganda’s rich cultural diversity positions the country to export its culture and talent to the global market.
“Uganda is very rich in culture, and we are now starting to export our culture and talent to the world,” Aboda said. “For a long time, this potential has not been fully utilised.”
He said the Uganda One Festival brought together creatives from all regions, covering the nine domains of the creative sector, including music, performing arts, film and video.
“This is the first time we are seeing an event of this kind. When creatives from all regions come together, we showcase different cultures and talents, and everyone is embraced,” he said.
Meanwhile, State minister for Gender and Culture Peace Regis Mutuuzo said Shs28 billion was allocated to creatives under the Creative Arts Fund to support the sector and integrate creatives into the money economy.
“Shs9.5 billion has so far been released to benefit approved Saccos across the nine domains, including music, fashion, film, book publishing and innovation,”
Mutuuzo said, adding that more funds would be released in subsequent phases.
Sylvia Owori, the director of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and chairperson of Uganda One, said there was a need to nurture creativity from a young age.
“We want to start working with children so that we can groom them because they are the future of Uganda,” Owori said, adding that organisers would ensure annual accountability on the impact of the initiative.
The festival attracted exhibitors in crafts, agriculture and children’s games, alongside musicians and performers from across the country.
