diff --git a/utilities/ideascale-importer/ideascale_importer/db/__init__.py b/utilities/ideascale-importer/ideascale_importer/db/__init__.py
index 3692a6146e..58c89da9b6 100644
--- a/utilities/ideascale-importer/ideascale_importer/db/__init__.py
+++ b/utilities/ideascale-importer/ideascale_importer/db/__init__.py
@@ -219,12 +219,12 @@ async def connect(url: str, *args, **kwargs) -> asyncpg.Connection:
     """
     try:
         conn = await asyncpg.connect(dsn=url, *args, **kwargs)
-    except Exception as _:
-        raise Exception("Database connection failed")
+    except Exception as e:
+        raise Exception(f"database connection failed: {e}")
 
     try:
         await conn.set_type_codec("jsonb", encoder=json.dumps, decoder=json.loads, schema="pg_catalog")
-    except Exception as _:
-        raise Exception("Failed to set jsonb codec")
+    except Exception as e:
+        raise Exception(f"failed to set jsonb codec: {e}")
 
     return conn