Uganda and Nordic Countries Team Up to Unlock Creative Economy
Uganda · CULTURE
Key Facts
- —What happened The embassies of Denmark, Sweden and Iceland hosted a Nordic-Uganda Partnership Day in Kampala on 10 September 2026, focused on the creative economy, youth jobs and cultural exchange.
- —The money Uganda’s FY2026/27 budget provides Shs33 billion (about US$8.7 million) for a revolving fund for musicians and other creatives; by December 2025, Shs18.99 billion (about US$5.0 million) had already reached 50 SACCOs and 3,047 individuals.
- —The numbers The National Planning Authority estimates the sector at about 3.5% of GDP and 4.5% of direct employment; a Connect for Culture Africa study puts it near 3% of GDP, supporting 280,263 to 400,000 people.
- —Who it hits The Fourth National Development Plan counts 386,000 jobs and more than 12,460 small and medium-sized enterprises in culture and the creative industry.
- —What comes next Uganda’s 10-Fold Growth Strategy, which targets a US$500 billion economy by 2040, names the creative arts industry among its growth areas.
Uganda and the Nordic countries are betting that the Uganda creative economy can deliver youth jobs and deeper cultural ties, with a Shs33 billion (about US$8.7 million) revolving fund now on the table for this financial year.
Uganda and the Nordic countries have agreed to deepen cooperation on the Uganda creative economy, targeting youth employment, intellectual property protection and cultural exchange, at the Nordic-Uganda Partnership Day in Kampala on 10 September 2026.
A partnership built on youth and culture
The gathering in Kampala was an initiative of the embassies of Denmark, Sweden and Iceland, held under the theme “Youth, Culture, Creativity, and Nordic Partnerships.” It brought together artists, innovators, creatives, policymakers and cultural leaders, according to the Daily Monitor’s coverage.
Minister for Youth and Children Affairs Faith Mercy Lakisa represented the government, alongside Iceland’s head of mission Katrin Einarsdóttir, Sweden’s ambassador Anna-Maria Olsson and Denmark’s ambassador Signe Winding Albjerg.
The Nordic mission is not just cultural diplomacy. It reflects a decades-long development and commercial relationship built on trust, and a strategy of backing youth as a route to long-term prosperity.
The fund behind the promises
The financial anchor is already in the budget. Finance Minister Henry Musasizi’s FY2026/27 budget speech provides Shs33 billion (about US$8.7 million) to establish a revolving fund for musicians and other creatives, aimed at enterprise growth and job creation.
Money is already moving. By December 2025, about Shs18.99 billion (about US$5.0 million) had been disbursed to 50 SACCOs of musicians, benefiting 3,047 individuals — 62 percent of them youth and 43 percent women. The fund is channelled through savings and credit cooperatives, not loose handouts: groups, records, savings, repayment and formal structures. The previous financial year carried a Shs28 billion (about US$7.4 million) allocation for the same purpose. (Shilling figures converted at about Shs3,800 to the US dollar, mid-September 2026.)
The legal side is moving too. The government enacted the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Amendment Act, 2025 to protect intellectual property and artistic works, and says it is finalising the acquisition of a dedicated home for creative artists as a common-user facility. The creative sector sits inside a wider Science, Technology, Innovation, ICT and Creative Industries budget line worth Shs1.140 trillion (about US$300 million) in FY2026/27.
The economic case for the Uganda creative economy
The National Planning Authority’s diagnostic study of the creative industry puts the sector’s weight at about 3.5% of GDP and 4.5% of direct employment, based on 2017 estimates — substantial for a sector long overlooked in formal economic planning.
The Fourth National Development Plan records culture and the creative industry at 3.1% of GDP in FY2022/23, with a target of 5%, supporting 386,000 jobs and more than 12,460 small and medium-sized enterprises. A separate study by Connect for Culture Africa estimates the sector contributes around 3% of GDP and supports between 280,263 and 400,000 people directly and indirectly.
Digital rails amplify the opportunity: Uganda counts 18.5 million active mobile internet subscriptions and 36.7 million active mobile money accounts, so a singer can sell tickets by phone and a filmmaker can publish online.
The 10-Fold Growth Strategy and the US$500 billion target
Uganda’s 10-Fold Growth Strategy aims to expand the economy from nearly US$50 billion in 2023 to US$500 billion by 2040. Within that framework, science, technology and innovation — explicitly including ICT and the creative arts industry — are named among the growth areas.
That inclusion marks a shift in how Ugandan policymakers view cultural production: creativity as an economic asset rather than a purely social or artistic pursuit. For Nordic partners, it offers a clear entry point for technical cooperation, funding and institutional exchange.
Who gains and who loses
Young Ugandan creatives stand to gain most from improved intellectual property protection and access to the revolving fund, which is designed to reach practitioners who rarely qualify for formal financing.
Small and medium-sized enterprises across music, film, publishing and design could benefit from stronger infrastructure and clearer policy. The main risk is that announcements outpace implementation: Uganda has promised creative-economy support before, and translating allocations into accessible, well-managed funding remains the harder test.
The wider regional read-through
Uganda’s creative-economy push fits a broader pattern across Africa, where governments are waking up to the export and employment potential of cultural industries. The Nordic interest adds a European dimension to what is often framed as a South-South story.
For readers following the continent’s economic transformation, the partnership is one more signal that African cultural production is being taken seriously by external investors and development partners — the lens explored in Africa: The New Scramble. Kampala’s move with the Nordics could become a template for other East African capitals.
What to watch next
The immediate test is whether the Shs33 billion (about US$8.7 million) revolving fund reaches working creatives this financial year, and whether the copyright amendment is enforced so earnings actually flow back to creators.
Watch, too, for follow-up agreements between Uganda and individual Nordic countries on specific creative sub-sectors, and for the promised common-user arts facility to open as a working space rather than a ribbon-cutting.
The 10-Fold Growth Strategy’s 2040 horizon is long, but the next 12 to 24 months will show whether the partnership moves from declarations to delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is Uganda allocating to the creative economy this financial year?
The FY2026/27 budget provides Shs33 billion (about US$8.7 million) for a revolving fund for musicians and other creatives, announced in Finance Minister Henry Musasizi’s budget speech.
How big is the Uganda creative economy?
The National Planning Authority estimates the sector at about 3.5% of GDP and 4.5% of direct employment; the Fourth National Development Plan recorded 3.1% of GDP in FY2022/23, with 386,000 jobs and over 12,460 SMEs.
Which Nordic countries are involved in the partnership?
The embassies of Denmark, Sweden and Iceland hosted the Nordic-Uganda Partnership Day in Kampala on 10 September 2026, focused on the creative economy, youth jobs and cultural exchange.
Connected Coverage
Sources
- monitor.co.ug (Nordic-Uganda Partnership Day)
- ubc.go.ug (FY2026/27 creative budget)
- ubc.go.ug (FY2025/26 allocation)
- npa.go.ug (Diagnostic Study of the Creative Industry)
- monitor.co.ug (Connect for Culture Africa study)
- finance.go.ug (10-Fold Growth Strategy)
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