The organisers of the 15th UK–Africa Business, Trade & Investment Summit are pleased to confirm that Alex Cole, Venture Partner and Chair of the GBCC Black Business Collective at TIN Ventures, will feature as a key panelist in the session:
“Scaling SMEs Through Digital Trade: Innovation Across the UK–Africa Corridor.”
Alex Cole is a renowned purpose-driven entrepreneur, impact investor, and policy advocate championing inclusive innovation, sustainable industry, and equitable entrepreneurship. As CEO of TIN Ventures, he leads on deploying insight-driven investment and venture acceleration to tackle critical issues including social mobility, climate resilience, and SME growth—with a special focus on enabling UK startups to unlock scalable trade opportunities across African markets.
This expert-led session will explore how digital-first export support, cross-border collaboration, and inclusive innovation ecosystems can accelerate productivity and global competitiveness for small and medium enterprises operating within UK–Africa trade corridors.
Alex will share practical insights drawn from TIN Ventures’ flagship programmes such as BEEP (Black Exporters Empowerment Programme) and Digisheds, which demonstrate how digital infrastructure and ecosystem development can drive impactful trade readiness, especially for underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Alex Cole’s leadership extends across several influential platforms. He currently serves as:
Through his work at the intersection of innovation, investment, and policy, Alex continues to advocate for inclusive economic strategies that align with the UK’s Industrial Strategy, Net Zero, and Levelling Up missions.
Assistant Secretary General, The Commonwealth
Prof. Luis Franceschi
Assistant Secretary-General, Governance and Peace Directorate
The Commonwealth Secretariat
At the 15th UK–Africa Business, Trade & Investment Summit, Prof. Luis Franceschi will contribute to the high-level dialogue on governance, institutional trust, and regional stability as enablers of sustainable investment.
Drawing from his leadership at the Commonwealth Secretariat and deep expertise in democratic governance, Prof. Franceschi will explore how transparent institutions, rule of law, and peacebuilding frameworks are essential to unlocking long-term investment and economic partnerships across Africa. His insights will highlight the role of good governance in de-risking investment environments, ensuring social cohesion, and advancing inclusive growth in line with the ATMS pillars (Agriculture, Tourism, Manufacturing, and Science & Technology).
Prof. Franceschi’s intervention will underscore the importance of aligning public policy with investor confidence, and the Commonwealth’s role in supporting member states to build resilient, just, and peaceful societies.
Chief Executive London Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Karim Fatehi OBE, Chief Executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TBC), is expected to share insights on strengthening UK–Africa business linkages, supporting SME growth, and fostering bilateral trade through chamber-to-chamber collaboration. His perspective will highlight the critical role of business networks in enabling market access and driving sustainable commercial partnerships between the UK and Africa.
Businessman and Conservative Life Peer, House of Lords, UK
Lord Dolar Popat is a businessman, Conservative life peer in the House of Lords, and one of the UK’s most experienced parliamentary voices on UK–Africa trade and investment. Appointed to the House of Lords in 2010, he built a successful career in the hospitality and property sectors before entering public service.
Born in Uganda, Lord Popat brings a personal and strategic understanding of East Africa’s commercial landscape. As a former UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Uganda and Rwanda, with the Democratic Republic of Congo later added to his brief, he has played an important role in strengthening bilateral trade, supporting UK business engagement, and promoting investment-led partnerships across the region.
At the UK–Africa Investment Summit 2026, Lord Popat will share practical insights on deepening UK–Africa trade and investment relations, with a focus on enterprise, private sector growth, market access, and long-term commercial partnerships.
His perspective is especially relevant to discussions on the UK–Africa–India trilateral investment corridor, Uganda’s role as the 2026 Strategic Growth Partner, and the Summit’s focus on moving from access to production, from dialogue to execution, and from interest to bankable outcomes.
A strong advocate for enterprise, education, and stronger UK–Africa economic relations, Lord Popat continues to engage with business leaders, policymakers, investors, and institutions committed to expanding commercially credible partnerships between the UK and African markets.
His contribution to UKAIS 2026 will add depth to conversations on investment diplomacy, private capital mobilisation, regional trade corridors, and the practical conditions required to turn trade ambition into structured investment, industrial partnerships, and deal execution.
Senior Presidential Advisor at State House
Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu Former Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Republic of Uganda Speaker, Mining and Energy Session Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu is a senior Ugandan political leader, former Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, and private-sector businesswoman with extensive experience across energy policy, mineral development, public leadership and investment-facing reform. As Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, she played a central role in shaping Uganda’s energy and minerals agenda during one of the country’s most important transition periods. Her tenure covered major reforms and milestones across electricity generation, transmission, petroleum development, mineral governance, state participation in mining, value addition and energy transition planning. Hon. Nankabirwa led Uganda’s engagement around the Energy Transition Plan, launched at COP28, which set out a long-term pathway for universal modern energy access, energy-sector modernisation, industrial growth, emissions management and regional energy positioning. She also oversaw major infrastructure and policy priorities, including the commissioning of the 600 MW Karuma Hydropower Project, expansion of national generation capacity, power distribution reforms, petroleum infrastructure development and preparations for Uganda’s entry into commercial oil production. In the minerals sector, she was closely associated with Uganda’s shift toward stronger state participation, structured investor engagement and domestic value addition. Under the Mining and Minerals Act 2022 framework, Uganda moved to establish a state-owned mining company to manage the government’s commercial interests and 15 percent participation in large and medium-scale mining projects. This approach was designed to strengthen Uganda’s ability to retain more value from its mineral wealth while working with credible private-sector partners. At UKAIS 2026, Hon. Nankabirwa brings a rare combination of ministerial experience, sector knowledge and private-sector insight. Her contribution to the mining and energy session will help UK investors understand Uganda’s energy and minerals journey from inside government, including the policy choices, infrastructure demands, investment opportunities and implementation challenges that define the sector. Her perspective will be especially valuable in discussions on mineral beneficiation, energy infrastructure, public-private partnerships, domestic processing, investor confidence, petroleum development, power supply for industry and Uganda’s wider ambition to move from resource access to bankable industrial value.
High Commissioner of Uganda to the UK
H.E. Nimisha Madhvani, High Commissioner of Uganda to the United Kingdom, will offer her insights on strengthening Uganda–UK bilateral ties, with a focus on advancing mutual economic and development interests through strategic diplomacy.
Drawing on her extensive diplomatic experience, she will explore how Uganda is positioning itself as a reliable trade and investment partner within the Commonwealth and beyond. Her remarks will cover Uganda’s efforts to expand market access, enhance its export profile, and attract British investment into key growth sectors such as agriculture, energy, infrastructure, tourism, and ICT.
She will also underline the importance of diaspora engagement in national development, showcasing how Ugandan communities in the UK are contributing to skills transfer, entrepreneurship, and capital mobilisation. In doing so, she will advocate for stronger institutional support and policy frameworks that encourage diaspora-led investment.
Highlighting a range of investment-ready projects, High Commissioner Madhvani will stress the importance of effective diplomatic engagement in building trust, unlocking new business opportunities, and fostering long-term, sustainable partnerships that support Uganda’s Vision 2040.
Deputy governor of the Central Bank of Uganda
Prof. Augustus Nuwagaba is Deputy Governor of the Bank of Uganda and Chairman of REEV Group of Companies. He is an economist and public policy advisor with three decades of leadership in macroeconomic management, fiscal reform, and performance measurement across Africa. He earned an MSc from the London School of Economics in 1992, a PhD in Economics from Makerere University in 2004, an MBA focused on central bank monetary policy and commercial bank competitiveness in 2013, and a BSS from Makerere in 1990.
Prof. Nuwagaba has delivered high-level assignments for multilateral and regional institutions, including the African Development Bank, the World Bank, IGAD, UNDP, FAO, WFP, IFAD, and the East African Community. Recent work includes macroeconomic management in fragile states for AfDB, ex-post evaluation of IGAD’s Regional Investment Programme, and national capacity development strategies for Somalia and South Sudan. He led Uganda’s FINSCOPE financial inclusion survey, served on audit and advisory committees at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, and contributed to mid-term reviews of Uganda’s National Development Plans.
His portfolio spans financial sector deepening, public expenditure analysis, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, land and resettlement policy, justice sector baselines, and infrastructure and agriculture impact evaluations. He has supervised doctoral and master’s research, published widely on urbanisation, poverty reduction, skills and employment, and economic transformation, and authored the 2024 book “Transformative Economics.”
Honours include the Golden Jubilee Independence Medal (2018), Paul Harris Fellow recognition by Rotary, and inclusion in “World Who is Who” (2004). A committed Rotarian, he has held leadership roles at club and district levels.
Prof. Nuwagaba brings an evidence-led approach to stabilising prices, safeguarding financial stability, expanding access to finance, and aligning public policy with long-term growth. His work bridges government, central banking, and development partners to advance investment, productivity, and inclusive prosperity.
Organised in collaboration with the UK Department for Business & Trade, UK Export Finance (UKEF), the governments of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, the Commonwealth, the International Trade Committee, and the India Overseas Trust (IOT), the UK–Africa Business, Trade & Investment Summit 2025 will convene over 500 senior stakeholders to strengthen UK–Africa partnerships and boost investment in high-growth sectors across East and Southern Africa.
Since its inception, the summit has welcomed more than 3,700 participants. The 2025 edition will bring together senior delegates including investors, business leaders, policymakers, and diaspora entrepreneurs. Key supporters include the Uganda High Commission (UK), the Uganda Investment Authority, the UK–Pakistan Trade & Investment Board, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), and regional chambers of commerce from London, Greater Manchester, Birmingham, and North & Western Lancashire, alongside various African trade and investment agencies.
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with Alex Cole and other sector leaders at the UK–Africa Business, Trade & Investment Summit 2025 — a premier platform for fostering high-impact UK–Africa partnerships.
📅 Date: Friday, 12 September 2025
📍 Venue: The Royal Horseguards Hotel & One Whitehall Place, London
🔗 Register: https://ukafricasummit2025.eventbrite.co.uk
📄 Brochure: https://www.ukafricabusinesssummit.uk/2025brochure.pdf
🌐 Learn more: https://tinventures.co.uk/alex-cole/
Media Contact:
UK–Africa Business Summit Press Office
📧 Email: press@ukafricabusinesssummit.uk
🌐 Website: https://www.ukafricabusinesssummit.uk