UIRI Leads Uganda’s Natural Fibre Revolution as Minister Wilson Mbadi Pushes Banana, Pineapple Waste into Global Markets

State Minister for Trade Gen Wilson Mbasu Mbadi has challenged African researchers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs to move beyond producing raw natural fibres and instead turn agricultural waste into high-value commercial products capable of competing in regional and global markets.

Mbadi said Africa risks losing enormous economic opportunities by continuing to discard agricultural residues that could generate additional income for farmers, create jobs and supply raw materials for sustainable manufacturing.

Representing the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives at the second East African Alternative Fibres Forum symposium held at the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) in Namanve Industrial Park on Friday, Mbadi said the continent must strengthen collaboration among researchers, universities, manufacturers and investors to transform scientific innovations into marketable products.

He said the availability of natural resources alone was insufficient to guarantee commercial success, emphasising the need to ensure consistent production volumes and quality to meet market demands.

“It is one thing to have the market, and it is another to sustain it. Two major things that sustain it are quality and quantity,” Mbadi said, warning that producers who fail to supply the quantities demanded by buyers risk losing business despite having good products.

He urged African producers to organize themselves into reliable supply networks capable of meeting large orders rather than operating as isolated enterprises.

Mbadi said Uganda and other African countries had enormous opportunities to exploit banana fibres, sisal, pineapple leaf fibres, bamboo and other agricultural residues that are often discarded after harvesting.

He cited the government’s commitment to local value addition, sustainable manufacturing and job creation, saying the development of alternative natural fibres aligns with Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy, which prioritizes agro-industrialization alongside tourism, mineral development, science and technology.

According to Mbadi, Africa must shift from exporting raw materials to producing finished goods that can compete in international markets.

He pointed out that Ugandan manufacturers have access to a much larger market through regional and continental trade arrangements, including the East African Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Mbadi said these arrangements open opportunities beyond Uganda’s domestic market, making investment in locally manufactured products more commercially attractive.

He also called for closer collaboration between academic institutions and industry, arguing that research should respond to practical market needs rather than remain confined to laboratories.

“Solutions will be successful and developed if industry, the end-users, work together. Solutions must be developed with industry and the end-users, not developed for them,” he said.

Mbadi urged universities and technical and vocational institutions to incorporate natural fibre technology, material science, circular design and entrepreneurship into their curriculum to equip students with skills relevant to the emerging industry.

He further called for stronger cooperation on product testing, quality assurance and standardisation, saying compliance with recognised standards would help build consumer confidence and facilitate access to regional and international markets.

He argued that existing regional and international standards should be cascaded to local innovators instead of requiring every country or institution to reinvent the wheel.

The minister also challenged researchers to commercialize their innovations by working with entrepreneurs and manufacturers capable of turning laboratory discoveries into products that consumers can buy.

His remarks came as stakeholders from Uganda, Kenya, Germany, Nepal and other countries gathered to explore partnerships for expanding the commercial use of alternative natural fibres.

UIRI Executive Director Prof Charles Kwesiga said Uganda stood to benefit significantly from the symposium through knowledge exchange, technology transfer, business partnerships and improved access to markets.

Prof Kwesiga said the institute had been selected to host the gathering because of the progress it had made in research and development, including the development of prototypes awaiting commercialization.

“Through collaboration like this, we are exploring ways in which these prototypes can be commercialized. And that’s a strong benefit for our people,” he said.

He further noted that the symposium had attracted international participants, including delegates from Germany, Kenya, Nepal and the United States, creating opportunities for businesses and researchers to establish partnerships.

Kwesiga said such engagements could help local innovators overcome some of the challenges associated with moving from research and development to commercial production.

The forum’s chairman, Samuel Thou, who is also a co-founder of Kenya-based Zeria Solution, said Uganda was selected to host the second edition following the successful inaugural symposium in Nairobi and the strong participation of Ugandan stakeholders at the first gathering.

Thou said Uganda’s substantial banana production and growing community of alternative fibre practitioners made it an appropriate location for the regional meeting.

He thanked UIRI for hosting the event and acknowledged the financial support of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), alongside contributions from local and international partners.

He said the symposium had created networking opportunities expected to lead to partnerships and collaboration among researchers, manufacturers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders.

Among the companies and organizations supporting alternative fibre development in Uganda are TexFad, SkillPad, Chakana and MacaPads, which are exploring ways to turn natural materials into commercially viable products.

Solomon Kiiza, UIRI’s manager for textiles, materials and polymers, said UIRI was working to develop commercial products from banana fibres, sugarcane bagasse, pineapple fibres, sisal, barkcloth, cotton and silk cocoons.

Kiiza said the institute had optimized fibre extraction and pre-treatment processes and developed technologies that could be deployed to manufacture products for domestic consumption and export.

He explained that the initiative could provide additional income to rural communities, particularly farmers who currently leave potentially valuable materials in their gardens after harvesting.

He cited pineapple farming as an example, noting that farmers could earn additional income by selling the leaves for fibre extraction after harvesting the fruit.

Kiiza said the development of local fibre industries would also help Uganda reduce reliance on imported products while creating employment across extraction, processing and manufacturing.

Meanwhile, Mara Heckmann, from German said the symposium had provided an important platform for stakeholders working with natural fibres to exchange ideas and explore collaborative solutions.

Heckmann said her organization was particularly interested in the use of banana fibres in biodegradable sanitary pads and was participating in discussions on how to scale up production.

She identified the development of a reliable absorbent core as one of the major technical challenges facing biodegradable sanitary pad manufacturers.

She said the material must retain liquid effectively, remain comfortable for users and prevent leakage if the products are to gain consumer acceptance.

Heckmann also observed that some organizations working in the sanitary pad sector were reluctant to share technical knowledge, making collaborative platforms such as the symposium particularly valuable.

She said bringing researchers and manufacturers together could help them address common technical challenges and accelerate the development of commercially viable, environmentally friendly products.

The symposium was organized under the theme, “Towards a Coordinated African Alternative Natural Fibre Platform,” with participants focusing on research collaboration, technology transfer, product development, standardisation and commercialization.

The gathering sought to strengthen cooperation across the natural fibre value chain, from farmers and processors to researchers, manufacturers, buyers and investors, as African countries explore ways to turn agricultural waste into sustainable industrial inputs. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).