dfcu Bank has reaffirmed its position as a catalyst for Uganda’s economic transformation at the high-profile Breaking Barriers to Trade 2025 conference held at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel.
As the headline sponsor and an active participant, the bank demonstrated leadership in inclusive finance, entrepreneurial growth, and trade facilitation, alongside policymakers, development agencies, private sector leaders, and international organizations.
The event convened key stakeholders under the theme of dismantling structural trade obstacles in Africa, with a shared focus on unlocking the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The gathering underscored Uganda’s pivotal role in the region’s integration and its capacity to serve as a gateway for trade under frameworks such as COMESA and the East African Community.
Annette Kiconco, Chief Retail Banking Officer at dfcu Bank, delivered a keynote address in which she highlighted Uganda’s rising export momentum. She cited a robust first-quarter export performance in 2025 and an impressive 72.1% increase in manufactured goods exports in April alone. Kiconco called for a redefinition of trade to make it more inclusive and impactful.
“Trade must be transformational, not transactional,” Kiconco stated. “It must uplift communities, deepen industrial capacity, and build resilience. At dfcu Bank, we are not only financing trade; we are reimagining who gets to participate in it.”
Kiconco outlined dfcu’s three-pronged strategy to eliminate barriers to trade. The first pillar is expanding access to finance through tailored working capital solutions and trade finance tools, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Secondly, the bank’s Women in Business Programme has empowered over 70,000 women entrepreneurs with credit, training, and market access.
The final focus is on sector-driven growth, with strategic investments in agriculture, trade, manufacturing, infrastructure, and ICT—sectors that anchor Uganda’s socio-economic progress.
Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa, Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, echoed the call for inclusive development, urging Ugandans to dismantle gender barriers in economic participation. She praised dfcu’s sustained commitment to women’s economic empowerment and emphasized the constitutional obligation to ensure women’s representation in leadership.
Furthering its commitment to trade capacity building, dfcu Bank hosted an Access to Finance workshop during the conference, led by Joan Kaagaza, Head of Commercial Banking. The session provided SMEs, startups, and large enterprises with actionable insights on the bank’s diverse financing options.
“We’ve chosen to focus on sectors that are most critical to Uganda’s development,” said Kaagaza. “This approach is central to our purpose of transforming lives and businesses.”
As the AfCFTA edges closer to becoming the world’s largest single market, with a projected GDP of US$3.4 trillion and a population of 1.4 billion, dfcu Bank made a rallying call for collective action to bridge Africa’s competitiveness gap and seize the opportunity for shared prosperity.