By Mulengera Reporters
Speaking on behalf of his employer, the new Bank of Uganda Deputy Governor Prof Augustus Nuwagaba on Saturday used the Equity Bank-organised Diaspora Webinar to implore millions of Ugandans who live and work in foreign countries (aka the diaspora) to become voluntary ambassadors and PR officers for Uganda.
He said that it’s a very beautiful country and the only one they can call home regardless of reservations some of them might be having about the way their motherland Uganda is currently being governed. Even when many of them use informal means (such as sending to a relative or friend) and as such their exact contribution is hard to ascertain, Ugandans in the Diaspora are offocially recorded to be annually remitting up to between $1.4bn and $1.7bn (as of before Covid). This is way above what Uganda gets from tourism and even coffee exports.
Prof Nuwagaba observed that destinations to which majority of the ordinary Ugandan nkuba kyeyos (aka Kadamas) frequently go have lately distinguished themselves to be sources for significant remittances for Uganda. These include South Sudan ($155m), UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern destinations. These Ugandans aren’t only contributing so much via remittances but they also have plenty of numeric strength because they are in millions.
Prof Nuwagaba said that the Diaspora’s contribution to Uganda’s GDP ought to grow up to 10% to emulate countries like Lesotho, Gambia, Comoros and others which are already getting much more from their Diaspora remittances.
“As the Diaspora, you are very important partners of the government in delivering on it’s socio- economic transformation and development agenda. You have to become more deliberate about this by becoming PR officers for Uganda in those different countries where you are based. You can actually be the most effective ambassadors of your very beautiful country Uganda because you are able to be in more places and to reach a lot more people that people at the embassies may be able to reach and influence,” Prof Nuwagaba said.
He added that he is leading by example on this issue, which is why he always uses his travel time to tell fellow travelers about the beauty of Uganda and why they should visit as tourists or even potential investors. He said this is something he has voluntarily done for decades each time he gets onto a flight.
He illustrated for instance how Uganda has very good coffee which is certified to be the world’s 3rd best in quality. Uganda is also 8th when it comes to being the world’s largest producer of coffee. He said these are things Ugandans in the Diaspora should be able to brag and market their country Uganda about.
Prof Nuwagaba counselled hundreds of Diaspora Ugandans who participated in the Saturday Webinar that it’s self-defeating for especially young Ugandans based abroad to just get angry, disgruntled and subsequently resort to taking to social media to demonise their own country simply because they have some personal grievances.
He said that talking well about Uganda wherever they are is a duty and one of the great things the Diaspora Ugandans can do to contribute towards their country’s success besides taking advantage of the formal digital channels Equity Bank has put in place to enable them safely and affordably send their remittances to be invested into productive ventures back home.
Prof Nuwagaba added that as the regulator, the Central Bank is more than prepared to continue working with public-spirited financial institutions like Equity Bank to work towards ensuring that the cost of sending remittances keeps diminishing on top of ensuring that such monies can safely be wired back home by Diaspora Ugandans. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
