Premier was speaking Wednesday in Kigali while officiating the launch of Africa Innovation Summit (AIS) held under the theme; “Addressing Africa’s Challenges”.
The AIS is an Africa-wide and home grown initiative aimed at harnessing the innovation potential on the continent. It also aims at mobilizing people and especially those with capacity to promote and build an enabling environment for innovation in Africa.
Ngirente said that Rwanda is taking strides in building a robust ecosystem for innovation in order to help the country meet its aspirations of a knowledge-based economy.
“We have also created a conducive legal and regulatory framework for doing business, invested in infrastructure and improved health system. All these have started to boost innovative activities in the Country,” he said.
He said that next week the governmentwill launch a Research and Innovation Fund.
“I am pleased to share that we will officially launch our National Research and Innovation Fund next week that we believe shall serve as a major research funding vehicle through which research and research-based innovation activities shall be supported,” he revealed.
Ngirente said that Africa has consistently invested in infrastructure development, agriculture, conducive policy and regulatory environment to attract private investment.
He oberved that the continent’s many development challenges can be addressed through innovation.
“Africa has not been able to leverage private sector as an engine for transformation. The fact is, the only way to resolving these and other challenges facing African countries is innovation. We must innovate. We must build robust ecosystems for innovation,” he noted.
The three-day Summit brought together investors, policy makers, researchers, academics, business community, youth, innovators and thinkers from around the World.
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