By Joseph Kiggundu
A significant boost to its growing voice in global industrial policy, Uganda has been elected to the Industrial Development Board (IDB) of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for the 2025–2027 term. The election took place during the 21st UNIDO General Conference, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 23–27 November 2025 under the banner of the “Global Industry Summit.”The 53-member IDB is UNIDO’s key governing body between General Conferences.
It reviews the organization’s work programme and budgets, and advises the General Conference on critical policy issues — including the appointment of UNIDO’s Director-General. Uganda’s new seat places the country at the table where the future of inclusive and sustainable industrialization is shaped.Leading Uganda’s delegation was His Excellency Isaac Sebulime, Ambassador of Uganda to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was joined by diplomats from Uganda’s Permanent Mission in Vienna and senior officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.
Their successful campaign underscored Uganda’s commitment to industrial growth and South-South cooperation.The Riyadh conference itself revolved around three forward-looking themes: Investment and Partnership; Women and Empowerment; and Generation Future — themes that resonate deeply with Uganda’s own development priorities.Adding extra shine to Uganda’s week in the spotlight, Nature Bio Foods — an Indian agribusiness with major operations in Uganda — was declared winner of the prestigious UNIDO One World Sustainability Award in the Sustainable Supply Chains category.
A subsidiary of LT Foods (headquartered in India), Nature Bio Foods opened a state-of-the-art processing plant in Uganda in 2023. Today it partners directly with 16,000 Ugandan smallholder farmers cultivating soybean, sorghum, chia seeds, and sesame.
The award recognizes the company’s success in building resilient, traceable, and climate-smart supply chains that deliver both commercial value and tangible benefits to rural communities.For Uganda, the twin victories — a seat on the IDB and international recognition for one of its key agricultural investors — signal that the country’s industrial and sustainability efforts are gaining global attention.
As Ambassador Sebulime and his team return home, they carry not just diplomatic success but a stronger platform to advocate for Africa’s industrial future on the world stage.