The Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services (UIBFS), in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has convened a workshop to validate a Market and Institutional Assessment report, in addition to validating a specialised Sustainable Forestry and Wood Value Chain Financing Curriculum.
The curriculum was developed by UIBFS, commissioned by FAO and funded by the European Union.
The workshop brought together stakeholders from government, financial institutions, development partners, the private sector and academia.
The Market and Institutional Assessment was undertaken to establish the readiness and capacity of financial institutions to participate in financing the forestry and wood value chain. It examined existing financing opportunities, institutional capacity, sector-specific risks, challenges and financing gaps.
Drawing on the assessment findings, UIBFS developed a specialised curriculum on Sustainable Forestry and Wood Value Chain Financing.
The curriculum is designed to strengthen the capacity of financial institutions in Uganda to understand, assess and finance sustainable forestry and wood-based enterprises, by imparting staff with practical knowledge and skills to identify financing opportunities, assess sector-specific risks, structure appropriate financing solutions and support sustainable investments across the value chain. The ultimate goal is to unlock investment opportunities and drive growth across Uganda’s wood value chain.
The initiative aims to build the expertise required among banks and other financial service providers to develop appropriate financial products and increase financing to sustainable forestry and wood-based enterprises.
Speaking at the workshop, UIBFS Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Goretti Masadde, highlighted the significant economic opportunities within Uganda’s forestry and wood value chain, emphasising the need for appropriate financing to enable smallholder tree farmers to transition from subsistence-level production to commercially viable enterprises.
“Uganda’s forestry and wood sector represents more than an environmental opportunity. It is a powerful driver of sustainable investment, enterprise growth, job creation and economic transformation,” said Mrs. Masadde. She underscored the need to bridge the gap between the sector’s investment potential and access to appropriate financing.
“The opportunity before us is much bigger than financing trees or timber. It is about financing an entire value chain and unlocking economic value.”
She highlighted how specialised financial expertise and innovative financing solutions can empower smallholder tree farmers, strengthen SMEs, modernise wood-processing enterprises, expand market opportunities, and increase Uganda’s export competitiveness.
Mrs. Masadde emphasised that the proposed specialised curriculum must translate into practical financial sector competencies and investment solutions that deliver measurable impact, supporting sustainable livelihoods, import substitution, and Uganda’s ambition of achieving a USD 500 billion economy by 2040.
On the other hand, Mr. Leonidas Hitimana, the Sector Head of Forestry, Climate and Environment at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Uganda, emphasised the need to shift from traditional funding approaches towards sustainable, long-term financing for Uganda’s forestry sector.
Mr. Hitimana commended the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services (UIBFS) for its contribution to developing the specialised curriculum, stressing that its success will depend on continuous training, practical application and sustained engagement with financial institutions.
He also acknowledged the longstanding support of the European Union and Denmark, alongside the Government of Uganda, in advancing sustainable forestry development and strengthening the country’s wood value chain.
His message reinforced a key priority: equipping financial institutions with the knowledge and capacity to translate forestry investment opportunities into sustainable financing solutions that drive long-term sector growth.
Additionally, Johan Tejpar, a Programme Officer at the European Union Delegation to Uganda, covering forestry and serving as the focal point for the FAO value chains programme, noted that access to finance is one of the key missing links to elevating Uganda’s forestry and wood industry.
He highlighted the importance of developing innovative financing solutions tailored to the unique investment needs of the forestry sector. He emphasised the challenges posed by long investment cycles and the need for financial institutions to adopt financing models that support sustainable forestry enterprises.
He further highlighted the European Union’s forestry programme, co-financed with Denmark, and its contribution to reforestation, forest governance, conservation and the development of wood and non-wood forest value chains.
Following the validation exercise, UIBFS will pilot the curriculum before rolling it out to train professionals from financial institutions.
