Author: IGIHE

That freedom of movement is inextricably tied to the Bank’s vision to create the next global market in Africa. As the Africa Economic Conference opens in the Rwandan capital Kigali, the theme this year: Regional and Continental Integration for Africa’s development,” also aligns with another major Bank priority – placing infrastructure development at the centre of Africa’s regional integration efforts.

Host nation Rwanda has taken bold leadership steps to champion regional integration, announcing at the beginning of this year an entry visa on arrival for travelers from all African countries.

The third edition of the Bank’s Visa Openness Index, to be launched on day two of the meeting, will be an important opportunity to measure which countries are making improvements that support free movement of people across Africa.

“The Index has helped raise awareness and drive visa policy reforms across the continent to ease movement of people, unlocking opportunities for intra-African tourism, trade, and investment. In so doing, the Bank is directly contributing to the objectives of the AU initiative for a Single African passport,” Gabriel Negatu, Bank Director General, East Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office said in his remarks during the opening plenary.

Speaking on behalf of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Hon. Claudine Uwera, Minister of State in charge of Economic Planning said the conference addressed a theme “close to our hearts.” “This conference is important to chart the way for inclusive integration…that would benefit all,” Uwera said.

“Governance will determine the development path for our countries,” Uwera added, noting the equally important role of political will and commitment from African leaders.

The annual Africa Economic Conference is the continent’s leading forum fostering dialogue and knowledge exchange in the search for solutions to the development challenges of Africa. It brings together leading academics, high ranking government representatives and development practitioners from across the globe.

AEC 2018 will highlight “transformative initiatives for accelerating progress in infrastructure integration that is inclusive and promotes equity, including the removal of barriers for movement of people, goods, and services across borders.”

Other convening partners to the Conference, the United Nations Development Programme UNDP) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), commended Rwanda’s role as a front-runner for integration efforts in Africa and spoke on the urgent need to build on the momentum for an inclusive and equitable integration.

“The government of Rwanda is walking the talk and continues to set the pace,”Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Africa, said.

Also speaking at the plenary, Giovanie Biha, Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said while there were still major steps ahead, “we are moving in the right direction.”

Highlighting the Bank’s emphasis on research and knowledge management as important drivers of policy dialogue, good policy planning and implementation, participation this year’s AEC is being organized under the leadership of the Bank’s Research Department and Regional Integration Complex.

Sessions over the three-day meeting will examine the social, cultural and political frameworks for successful integration, building on the landmark signing this year of the Africa Free Trade Agreement the world’s potentially biggest free trade agreement, which aims to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments across Africa.

Participants will also look at the role of the private sector and civil society institutions.
Given the urgency of regional integration – “no longer a choice,” according to its organizers, this year’s meeting is a must attend for those interested in Africa’s Development Agenda.

“Important pages of our continent’s development history are being written,” Uwera said. “Let’s take this opportunity to move the continent ahead.”

The 2018 Africa Economic Conference is taking place at the Marriot Hotel in Kigali, from 3-5 December.

This followed Kigali Marriott Hotel’s initiative to raise Rwf10 million to support activities at SOS Rwanda to help vulnerable children.

Claudine Uwamahoro, an associate at Kigali Marriott Hotel Human Resource Department, said the activity was done in a bid to help the community and support in improving children’s lives.

“We thought of an activity we could do to improve the children’s lives and support their education. We raised the funds given today through sales of T-shirts we made and sold to our staff and visitors and all the other people we met,” Uwamahoro said.

Uwamahoro added that they will raise more funds through T-shirt sales in support of the SOS Children Village cause.

The SOS Children’s Village, Kigali Director, Mr. Louis Ntabana commended Kigali Marriott Hotel for joining Rwandans and other international benefactors for contributing to the education of orphans and other vulnerable children.

“For 10 years now, we have been calling upon all people to support us to decently raise Rwandan children. We appreciate Kigali Marriott Hotel gesture and invite all other good-hearted people to follow suit,” he said.

Shakira Iradukunda, 11, is one of the 30 children who was given gifts by Kigali Marriott Hotel team. She says she was happy to see there are people who think about them and strive for their joy.

“I am happy they will keep supporting us. I ask them to keep up these good activities and we will never forget them,” she said.

SOS Rwanda started operations in Rwanda in 1979 and it now has branches in Kacyiru, Kigali, in Gicumbi District, Nyamagabe and Kayonza Districts, supporting 635 vulnerable children.

SOS Children’s Village, Kigali located in Kacyiru, Gasabo District, is home to 77 children. SOS also supports 144 children in secondary and tertiary studies, 73 were integrated in ordinary and 1,438 children are supported from their biological families.

Africans have been urged to free themselves from mentalities of waiting for solutions from outside their own inventions.

The call was made by the Chairperson of the Pan African Movement (PAM) Rwanda Chapter, Protais Musoni as the Movement welcomed new staff and elaborating the program they will work on in the next three-year tenure.

During the meeting, it was said that some high officials send their children to European countries as they don’t have confidence in local education systems.
Speaking to IGIHE, Protais Musoni said it is sad that some Africans including leaders consider the European continent as a better place than Africa.

He said Africans should wake up and defeat their weaknesses, insecurity and the ‘poor’ mindsets learned from colonial occupation of not loving their traditions.

Musoni said that some African countries save all their money in foreign banks which use it for their business benefits while this would serve more economic benefits if it was used inside local economic circles.

“You will always find Africans waiting for their problems’ solutions from away. When you lose confidence in yourself and wait for others to get solutions for problems you face, that is a problem itself. That we copy methods from away and paste them in our countries will bring us more problems. This only means we have not yet become people who can find solutions among us,” Protais Musoni said.

“It is bad when you have members of the society with such mentalities that good things are only got from elsewhere and it becomes worse if leaders born in that society do not change and love their mother continent. We need to improve mindsets of our population and work with political parties that every leader elected to an African country understands Africa’s problems and strive to resolve them,” Musoni added.

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The exhibition which will start on 13 -27 December 2018, is expected to benefit many businesses and investors and young people who will have an opportunity to get jobs.
It is organized by the district’s authority, Private Sector Fund (PSF) Rubavu and Joint Action Development Forum (JADF).

PSF Director in Rubavu District, Jeannette Kayumba Nyota confirms that the uniqueness of the exhibition is that it will last for many days and it will be organized by in a different way like never before.

“There are a lot of expectations and high participation because the Congolese will also exhibit and neighboring countries will be represented as well,” she said.

“Moreover, aside from the fact that exhibitors, particularly of products made in Rwanda, will attend a big number because they have been encouraged to do so, it will also be for the first time that JADF will participate in such a way that even those who will not buy, will at least be satisfied with knowing what is being done for them. That is something to be proud of because we are faring well with the preparations,” she added.

Innocent Mwiseneza, one of the businessmen who will participate in the exhibition says that they are more likely to earn more benefits based on the preparations by even the Congolese people, who will be privileged to join them.

“We have prepared ourselves because we were informed earlier. It is good that the exhibition is going to take place towards the end of the year at the same time that many people are having fun with their families. We are ready and expecting more than we have seen over the years,” he said.

Rubavu District Vice mayor, Janvier Murenzi in charge of economic affairs says that the activity has more benefits for the residents of Rubavu District because they will earn a lot of money, especially the youth, and at the district level in general.

PSF authority in Rubavu District announces that they earned over Rwf20 million in the previous exhibition from the services provided to participants including tickets and renting exhibition stands. This time around, they expect about Rwf30 million.

Selected through a competition that was announced by RDB during this year’s Liberation Day celebrations, the teenagers left Kigali on Saturday afternoon to participate in an early morning trek on Sunday.

RDB’s Chief Tourism Officer, Belise Kariza, urged them to be the next generation of conservationists in the country.

“We need to impart the importance of conservation among the youth in order for them to carry on the mountain gorilla conservation efforts that have seen the number of mountain gorillas’ increase. Through gorilla conservation and tourism, we are directly benefiting from these wonderful species. Over the last nine years, revenues from mountain gorilla conservation and the resulting tourism have brought US$107 million to the national coffers,” Kariza noted.

Following the trek, Lelia Gasaro, one of the young trekkers, said that she found the trip educative.

“This trip is good because it helps us to see for ourselves what we learn in school and what the country is doing to conserve the gorillas. The information I received from the guides was good because I knew some of it and also learnt new details that I will share with my friends,” Gasaro noted.

From 15th-16th December, the second group of 15-year olds will travel to Volcanoes National Park courtesy of RDB’s Liberation Day giveaway.

According to a recent census by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), conservation efforts have resulted in an increase in the number of mountain gorillas in the Virunga Massif region to more than 1000 gorillas, from 242 in 1981 and 480 in 2010.

He said African countries also need to continue building the capacity to generate revenues domestically to entrench a sense of ownership of the SDGs, reduce dependence on ever scarce funding and ensure sustainability of results.

Kagame made the remarks as he spoke at the 2018 Global Citizen SDG Reception at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Reception was hosted by Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway and President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana.

The Global Citizens’ Initiative defines a “global citizen’’ as someone who identifies with being part of an emerging world community and whose actions contribute to building this community’s values and practices.

Kagame said the Global Citizen Festival and the energized network the organization has created, is a good example of the support that the SDGs continue attract.

“This goodwill is welcome, and we need to harness it appropriately. Channeling commitments made through the relevant national, and regional institutions, empowers them and increases accountability and impact,” Kagame said.

“Our countries also need to continue building the capacity to generate revenues domestically so that we can entrench a sense of ownership of the SDGs, reduce dependence on ever scarce funding, and ensure sustainability of results,” President Kagame said, adding that “We are encouraged by the good progress in the institutional reform of the African Union, which is already enhancing self-financing, efficiency and coordination.”

“Let us take advantage of this momentum, to collaborate even more productively with our global partners, and move faster towards attaining the SDGs by 2030,” Kagame urged.

The Global Citizen Festival 2018 was celebrated by celebrating also 100 years since Nelson Mandela was born.

On Mandela, Kagame said: “He [Mandela] never gave up on Africa. He believed that Africa’s children can achieve anything. It is our responsibility to continue building on his legacy. We must commit to ensuring good nutrition for our children, and eliminating the preventable diseases that threaten Africa’s potential.”

To African youth, President Kagame said: “We need Africa’s young people to be fierce advocates for these goals. You are so well represented tonight here in Soweto, and you make us proud. Together, we can build the Africa we want.”

The forum which started on November 26, 2018, brought together 1000 African conservation enthusiasts in decision-making positions practitioners, experts in environment and members of governments, who discussed building sustainable green growth.

On the last day, the participants visited Rweru Model Village and a recycling plant in Bugesera District. They were informed about Bugesera International Airport destined to be the greenest and most environmentally friendly airport in Africa.

Meanwhile, the forum awarded people who developed green projects.

Alfred Ntakirutimana, a journalist for TV1, who was awarded as the best journalist publicising environmental development stories in Rwanda during the ‘Rwanda Development Journalism Awards 2018’ on November 7, 2018, was awarded an additional Rwf800,000 and will also attend the international conference on climate change (COP 24) in Katowice, Poland on 3-14 December 2018.

Green Jobs Award went to Edmond Duah Kwaku from Ghana, who exhibited a solar energy project and Cedric Tokombe of the Democratic Republic of the Congo who exhibited a project about the use of fuels known as Makala Bio.

The first award was given to Rosette Muhoza and David Cyinzuzi for their project ‘My Green Home’.

The latter demonstrates how non-decomposing waste can be used into construction pavers while easily decomposing ones are transformed into farmyard manure.

The youth projects competed in YouthConnekt Africa, held in Rwanda in October 2018.
Among local government institutions that mobilized and involved residents in environmental development, Remera Sector in Gasabo District and Kigarama Sector in Kicukiro District were awarded Rwf5 million.

Gicumbi was the best performing district, earning Rwf20 million while Rusizi district was second runner-up.

In the category of small and medium-sized enterprises, the awards focused on the environmentally friendly production that promotes manufacturing and utilization of products in a way that is productive and uses energy efficiently.

The awarded factories include Mata Tea Company, Inyange Industries, Utexrwa Rwanda, Sulfo Rwanda Industries and Nyabihu Tea Company.

Among small companies, ATECAR was awarded Rwf1 million, followed by AS BEAUTE LTD SALOON which was awarded Rwf500 000.

In small-sized factories, Nyabihu Tea Company came first and was awarded Rwf1.5 million, followed by Mata Tea Company awarded Rwf700 000.

Minister of Environment, Dr. Vincent Biruta urged the local government to step up the momentum in preserving environment by developing all people.

“The ones awarded are an indication that everyone can do something and make profits without damaging the environment. We want young people we have invited, to play a big role,” he said.

“We want you to be in a clean, environmentally friendly country, with clean air, and be able to make profits from what you do. Youths are therefore at the top of all those things,” he said.

IMF made this statement on Friday when it highlighted how the whole national economy has been growing over the past four quarters, with an increase in 8.8 percent in 2018.

“Growth averaged 8.6 percent in the first half of 2018 and, despite a temporary deceleration in Q2, remains in line with projections for 7.2 percent for the year,” it said in a statement late Friday.

IMF also shows that the financial sector remains healthy, and bridging the deficit between exports and imports is also faring well, because it decreased by 6% from October 2017 until September 2018.

IMF indicates that Rwanda’s economic growth in the medium term was expected to remain at, or higher than, historical averages, based on tourism, new mining operations, more resilient agriculture, new and more diversified exports and the construction of a new airport.