The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Alicante, Spain | NEWS CORRESPONDENT | Ugandan entrepreneur Samuel Nabeeta Mulowooza has received an international honorary award in recognition of his role in advocating for renewable energy use, supporting innovation and youth empowerment in the East African nation. The honorary award was presented to Nabeeta on Sunday, August 30, at the end of the Clevenard Open Project 2026 gathering in Spain.
Clevenard Open Project 2026 is a prestigious four-day international flagship gathering that unites global leaders, creatives, entrepreneurs, educators, artists, policymakers, and innovators on one dynamic platform. Hosted in the vibrant Mediterranean city of Alicante, this landmark event seamlessly merges business, culture, education, tourism, film, music, fashion, and social impact into a powerful global experience.
This distinguished award recognizes Nabeeta’s remarkable achievements in renewable energy development, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, economic transformation, media engagement, and youth empowerment across Uganda and Africa.
In addition to receiving this international honour, Nabeeta served as a featured keynote speaker during the Global Economy, Trade, Agriculture, and Solid Minerals & Investment Summit held at the same time Friday, 28 August 2026.
‘’I do not come to you today as a theorist. I come as a practitioner who has sat across a table from a community in rural Uganda that had never seen a reliable light source, and who has also sat across a table from sovereign wealth funds in the Gulf deciding where to place the next billion dollars. What I have learned at both those tables is the same: the gap between them is not technical. It is systemic, relational, and political. And it is closeable’’, he told the congess.
Titled ‘Empowering Africa’s Future: Renewable Energy, Entrepreneurship and Youth Innovation as Catalysts for Sustainable Economic Transformation, Nabeeta’s presentation explored the critical role of renewable energy, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, skills development, and youth-driven innovation in accelerating Africa’s economic growth and creating sustainable opportunities for future generations.
He said the renewable energy transition in Africa will not be delivered by good intentions but requires three specific interventions, including currency risk de-risking mechanisms, harmonised regional regulatory frameworks and mandatory local ownership & skills transfer thresholds in renewable energy concessions.
He added that Africa has, by some measures, the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity of any region in the world.
‘’The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor consistently records some of the highest rates of early-stage entrepreneurial activity on the continent. And yet, most African SMEs do not survive their fifth year. The failure rates are not a consequence of lack of ambition or lack of skill. They are a consequence of structural suffocation: power cuts that destroy inventory, financing costs that run at 20 to 30% in local currency terms where access exists at all, regulatory frameworks designed for large formal enterprises rather than dynamic micro-enterprises, and digital infrastructure gaps that lock small businesses out of the global supply chains they could otherwise serve’’, Nabeeta told the gathering in Spain.
A Visionary Leader
As the Chief Executive Officer of SUNBOX Solar Limited and Eye Power Engineering, he has played a significant role in expanding access to renewable energy solutions and engineering services that support both community development and commercial growth. His leadership continues to contribute to sustainable infrastructure development and increased energy accessibility in Uganda.
Beyond his entrepreneurial success, Nabeeta is the driving force behind The Business Class, a flagship media platform operating under Debu & FI Initiatives (Deepening Economy, Business and Financial Inclusion Initiatives).
The platform promotes business education, financial literacy, economic awareness, and meaningful dialogue among entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and citizens.
A passionate advocate for youth development, Nabeeta has dedicated significant efforts toward empowering young people through entrepreneurship, vocational training, innovation hubs, and skills development programmes.
The Clevenard Honorary Award recognises individuals whose leadership, innovation, and commitment to community development have created meaningful and measurable impact beyond their immediate sphere of influence.
As Clevenard received delegates from across Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Americas, Nabeeta’s participation and recognition served as a powerful example of visionary African leadership driving global change.
