Museveni Directs Energy Ministry to Collaborate with Metallurgy Expert President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to engage with an expert in metallurgical industries to enhance Uganda’s capacity in that sector. According to a statement from State House, Museveni made the directive during a meeting with a delegation led by Dr. Rashid Aleem, a renowned metallurgist and former Managing Director of the Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation. Dr. Aleem is also the Chairman of the Pakistan Metallurgical Society and has extensive experience in the iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, and minerals sectors. Museveni emphasized the need for Uganda to develop its capabilities in metallurgical industries to support the country’s industrialization drive. He said that the collaboration with Dr. Aleem would provide the ministry with technical expertise and advice to develop a robust metallurgical sector. The Energy Ministry was instructed to work closely with Dr. Aleem to establish a strategic plan for the development of metallurgical industries in Uganda, including the establishment of steel mills, foundries, and fabrication facilities. The collaboration is expected to focus on: * Developing a roadmap for the establishment of a steel industry * Identifying potential investors and partners * Training Ugandan personnel in metallurgy and related fields * Facilitating technology transfer and knowledge sharing Museveni expressed confidence that the partnership with Dr. Aleem would accelerate the growth of Uganda’s metallurgical sector and create numerous opportunities for employment, economic growth, and infrastructure development.President Museveni has directed the Ministry of Energy to collaborate with a leading physical engineer, Dr. Luisa Moreno, to enhance Uganda’s mineral sector.President Museveni has directed the Ministry of Energy to collaborate with a leading physical engineer, Dr. Luisa Moreno, to enhance Uganda’s mineral sector. During a meeting at State Lodge, Nakasero, President Museveni and Dr. Moreno discussed strategies to improve the mining sector, aligning with Museveni’s vision of large-scale industrialization and an integrated economy. Museveni emphasized the need to process raw materials domestically to increase their value, highlighting the significant financial losses and missed employment opportunities when exported unprocessed. He cited examples of the substantial value addition when copper is processed into blister cathode or bauxite into refined products. To move forward, the President directed the Ministries of Science and Energy to collaborate with Dr. Moreno to form a joint team to optimize mineral exploration and develop plans for industrial growth. This team is expected to provide an integrated and implementable proposal within eight weeks. Dr. Moreno outlined her comprehensive work, which involves assessing the current state of Uganda’s minerals and value-added sectors, developing an action plan to implement recommendations, and focusing on value addition in the industry. She emphasized the importance of improving steel production and consumption in Africa, as well as exploring tantalum’s potential in electronics manufacturing. The second phase of Dr. Moreno’s plan includes proposing an action plan, which involves assembling a team of geologists for exploration and mining efforts. The third phase focuses on value addition and explores strategic policies and investments to develop Africa’s metals market industry. Dr. Moreno also stressed the need for Uganda to diversify its materials imports, currently dominated by steel, to include copper and zinc. She highlighted the economic benefits of value addition, citing the example of the significant increase in the price of lithium driven by demand for electric vehicles. The meeting was attended by Dr. Monica Musenero, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, among others.President Museveni has directed the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to work with an expert in metallurgical industries to support value addition in the country’s minerals sector. The directive was issued during a meeting between the President and a team of officials from the ministry led by the Minister of State for Minerals, Hon. Peter Lokeris. The President said that Uganda has a lot of minerals that can be processed into finished products for both local and export markets. He noted that the country has been exporting raw minerals for a long time, which has not yielded maximum benefits for the country. President Museveni said that value addition will create more jobs and boost the country’s economy. The Minister of State for Minerals, Hon. Peter Lokeris, said that the ministry is committed to implementing the President’s directive and that they are already working with an expert in metallurgical industries to develop a plan for value addition in the minerals sector. The expert will help the ministry to identify the minerals that can be processed in Uganda, the technologies that can be used, and the markets for the finished products. The ministry is also working on developing a policy framework for value addition in the minerals sector. The policy will provide guidelines for investors and ensure that value addition is done in a sustainable manner.