Bagonza made the remarks while delivering his remarks at the opening of the Uganda–South Africa Diaspora Skills Mapping and Capacity Building Dialogue, held at Protea Hotel Hatfield in Pretoria.

The one-day engagement, organised by the State House Diaspora Unit in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), brought together Ugandans living in South Africa, officials from Uganda’s High Commission in Pretoria, and diaspora leaders from across the region.

Strengthening Institutional Structures for Engagement

In his address, Bagonza highlighted the importance of institutionalising diaspora engagement as a key pillar for national transformation.
He noted that under the leadership of H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Government remains committed to ensuring that every Ugandan abroad is visible, connected, and empowered to contribute meaningfully to Uganda’s socio-economic growth.
“This skills mapping exercise is not just a data collection effort — it is a nation-building exercise. It’s about identifying talent, creating opportunities, and building bridges between Uganda’s development priorities and the capabilities of her people abroad,” he said.
Bagonza also cited ongoing reforms being spearheaded by the Diaspora Unit, including the finalisation of the National Diaspora Policy, the Diaspora Data Management System, and the Diaspora App, which serves as a one-stop digital centre for government services and information access.

The dialogue was also attended by Col. Lumumba, the Defence Attaché at the Uganda High Commission in South Africa, who represented the Head of Mission, Ambassador Paul Amoru.
In his remarks, Col. Lumumba reaffirmed the Mission’s commitment to facilitating diaspora engagement and the provision of services to Ugandans living in Southern Africa.
The IOM was represented by Victoria Nabiteko, Programme Officer, who underscored the organisation’s commitment to supporting Uganda’s diaspora engagement initiatives.

Lessons from Other Countries

The discussions also drew from benchmarking exercises in India, Ethiopia and Kenya, where Uganda studied how those nations have successfully built long-term institutional structures to engage their diasporas in economic and social development.

Participants emphasised that Uganda can build on these lessons to establish a sustainable framework that strengthens partnerships with Ugandans abroad across all sectors, from business and education to science, technology, and health.