The cabinet meeting held on Friday 14th October 2022, also reviewed existing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 where they remain in effect to be reviewed after one month upon a health assessment. Read the full statement below:
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Safety and security register highest performance in ninth edition of RGS, service delivery experiences drop
The details emerged at the launch of the 9th edition of RGS on Friday 14th October 2022.
RGS is an independent annual publication of the RGB that seeks to gauge the state of governance in Rwanda, comprehensively assesses governance in using both primary and secondary data sources.
It is mainly designed to generate credible and reliable data on governance issues, serves as practical tool that drives policy reform in the domain of governance through the identification of areas for improvement and generates actionable recommendations and to contribute to current and authentic knowledge formation about Rwanda.
Like previous editions, the research carried out in this year was entrenched on eight pillars, 35 indicators and 144 variables. The pillars include; :(1) Rule of Law, (2) Political Rights and Civil liberties, (3) Participation and Inclusiveness, (4) Safety and Security,(5) Investing in Human and Social Development, (6)Control of corruption, Transparency and Accountability, (7) Quality of service delivery, (8) Economic and corporate governance.
The CEO of RGB, Dr. Usta Kaitesi has said that the pillars are aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in resources allocation.
They are also aimed at promoting citizens’ inclusiveness and rule of law among others.
As for the overall performance of pillars, five out of eight scored 80% and above, where the Safety and Security leads with a score of 95.53% and remains the highest performing pillar since the introduction of RGS.
The Rule of Law performed at 90.81% while Political Rights and Civil Liberties registered 87.84%. The latter recorded the highest rate of increase (4.04%) compared to the 8th edition.
The pillar of Anti-Corruption, Transparency and Accountability scored 87.31% up from 86.77% while Participation and Inclusiveness scored 87.19% from 84.19% in the previous edition.
Meanwhile, three pillars registered scores below 80%. These include Economic and Corporate Governance which scored 77.85% from 74.65% of the previous edition as well as the Quality of service delivery registered 77.69%.
Among others, the pillar of Investing in human and social development registered the lowest performance of the RGS 9th Edition with a score of 75.81%.
The Deputy Resident Representative the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) in Rwanda, Varsha Redkar-Palepu congratulated Rwanda for the production and launch of the 9th edition of RGS.
She stressed the need to reflect on the outcome of the RGS 9th edition, and adjust management approach to meet current needs.
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Africa is not a continent of problems – Kagame
The Head of State made the call on Thursday 13th October 2022 as he opened the Youth Connekt Africa Summit 2022 that brought together over 9000 young people.
Kagame was the guest of honour at the summit which was also attended by the Deputy President of Kenya, Rigathi Gachagua who came to Rwanda for the first time after assuming office.
He highlighted that the important forum which was launched in Rwanda ten years ago, has become a powerhouse, bringing together thousands of young people every year, to contribute solutions, and learn from each other.
“Africa is not a ‘continent of problems’. Not at all. Yes, there are problems, but where don’t you find problems? The world over, there are problems. So we have to deal with our own problems, but we are not a continent of problems. At least, we must also, and as leaders, do our part to recognize that young people are equal partners in our development agenda,” he said.
The Head of State said that leaders have a duty to listen to the youth, and work with them. He also advised young people to work hard with a purpose, because its absence of it would make their efforts futile.
“Hard work, even if it is smart work as well, without purpose, is not fulfilling. Therefore, we must also bear in mind the purpose, who we are, what we want to be, where we want to go, and all that driven in our minds by having a purpose,” he said.
“May I add that, with that purpose, you can add a little bit of discipline. Discipline guides us, measures and lets us know the excesses we have to deal with, whether personally or at the level of society,” added Kagame.
Kagame asked the young people if they ever heard someone who became a looser because of discipline and reminded them that it helps to value what a person does.
“So, let’s try it a little bit in our daily lives. It will serve us well. It helps people think, put value to every step of their way. It guides us in the right direction. Whether it is politics, is a bit of discipline. Whichever part of life, it should involve a bit of that. Of course, everything in excess has its own problems. So again, I’m saying, just try even with a little bit, and we will be where we want to be,” he noted.
The President shared Rwanda’s resilience journey. He explained that the country was at its lowest point 28 years ago but people dared to dream big, to give themselves something to look forward to, every day.
To this end, Rwandans worked hard together to overcome division, provide justice, and build prosperity.
“For the past two decades, this vision has become Rwanda’s purpose, and the reason for everything that we do. I always want to thank the people of Rwanda for their understanding and embracing these principles that have taken us this far.
Whatever your purpose, do not get discouraged by doubts. Begin by not doubting yourself. Try to overcome that, and ultimately, you, your family, your country, and our continent, will be better off for it,” Kagame said.
YouthConnekt Summit is taking place for the fifth time since 2012. It was initiated by the Government of Rwanda in collaboration with partners including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
This year’s edition brought together young people from 22 African countries including Rwanda.
Rwanda’s Minister of Youth, Rosemary Mbabazi thanked President Kagame for relentlessly dedicating time to interact with the youth. She requested young people to take advantage of the summit to gain knowledge helping them to transform the African continent.
UNDP Representative in Rwanda, Maxwell Gomera delivered a touching and inspiring speech where he recounted the story of his mother who used to sell tomatoes to support her family.
His mother could not get the investment she needed for her business since no one would offer such opportunities at the time “Let alone to a woman,” Gomera said.
“No bank would take a chance on her, and it failed to grow to the potential it could have.
Eventually, she had to give up on part of her dream,” he said.
He said he used to help her with her business but since she lacked the investment she needed; ‘her business stayed small, her dreams stayed small’.
Gomera emphasized that young people are facing the same challenges, just like his mother. “Like my mother, young people do not have the access they need. 42% fail to get that funding, these are the things we can solve with the right leadership.”
He proceeded to state how young people should be facilitated in getting investments to take their businesses to the next level since more than 80% in Africa do not reach the level.
The President of Senegal, Macky Sall who delivered remarks virtually said that the youth needs to be empowered as the future of the African continent.
He explained that his country allocates 26% of national budget for education and training aimed at securing the youth’s future.
The Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, Rigathi Gachagua inspired young people attending the summit to take part in the decision making in all areas of life “Take your rightful place in decision making.”
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Renovated Amahoro Stadium to be inaugurated during the World Veterans Club Championship
In May 2024, football veterans from across the world will come to Rwanda to participate in the VCWC 2024. The tournament will be taking place in Africa for the first time.
In preparations of the tournament, a promotional tour dubbed ‘Legends in Rwanda’ kicked off in Kigali City on Wednesday 12th October 2022.
‘Legends in Rwanda’ tour seeks to promote the 2024 Veteran Clubs World Championship to attract global participation, mobilize the Rwandan and African to be part of the event, promote Visit Rwanda campaign and recruit business, institutional, operational and media partners as well.
The promotional tour was organized by the International Federation of Football Veterans (FIFVE).
The official launch of the promotional tour brought together legendary football players including Roger Milla from Cameroun, Khalilou Fadiga from Senegal, Patrick Mboma from Cameroun, Ghanaian Anthony Baffoe and French national Lilian Thuram.
The event was also attended by government officials, members of the private sector and other sports personalities.
As he addressed participants, the president of FERWAFA, Olivier Nizeyimana Mugabo said that the anticipated VCWC 2024 will coincide with Rwanda’s 30th Liberation Anniversary.
He explained that Rwanda is eager to host the tournament given that it has a mega project for the renovation of Amahoro Stadium to be completed during VCWC 2024.
“Amahoro Stadium will be completed in March 2024. It will be opened by Veteran Clubs World Championship. From 1994 to 2024, Rwanda will be hosting the 30th Liberation Anniversary. These veteran footballers will help to invite Rwandan diaspora in Africa and beyond to join us,” Mugabo said.
During the tour, the veteran footballers will interact with different officials, investors and representatives from the Civil Society to increase awareness about the historical tournament.
In light of this; Veteran footballers will visit 11 cities including Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos and Abidjan in Africa; Brussels, Berlin, Paris and London in Europe as well as Washington DC, Ottawa in the United States and Singapore in Asia.
The Minister of Sports, Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju requested participants to return to Rwanda after touring the world and ensure that the tournament leaves a legacy for future generations.
Legendary football players also delivered a talk revolving around the role of sports in development.
Once completed, the Amahoro Stadium being upgraded to international standards, will have the capacity to accommodate 45,000 people.
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Meet Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard, Franco-Gabonese entrepreneur shaping a more positive narrative about Africa
He started his journey from humble beginnings, pouring his life savings into setting up his own company – the African Press Organization (APO) – in 2007. His goal was to provide international and African media with access to reliable news about the continent’s economy, business, and investment news.
It might have seemed like a gamble, but Nicolas defied the odds. He soon abandoned his career as a journalist for online Gabonese media ‘Gabonews’, and, over the last 15 years, APO Group (as the company is now known) has grown into the leading Pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service.
APO Group is changing the narrative about Africa, helping communicators relay compelling, uniquely African stories to audiences all over the world.
With close to 100 employees, and more than 300 clients, APO Group reported increased revenue of 88% in the first semester of 2022, versus the same period in 2021.
Some of APO Group’s prestigious clients include FIFA, Facebook, Nestlé, NBA, the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Canon, Coca-Cola, DHL, Marriott Group, Ecobank, Liquid Intelligent Technology, Siemens, Standard Chartered, Orange, Jack Ma Foundation, African Development Bank, World Health Organization, Islamic Development Bank, Rotary International, Kaspersky, Greenpeace, the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), the governing body of the Olympic Movement in Africa, among others.
Nicolas is also a judge at the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH), Jack Ma Foundation’s flagship philanthropic program spotlighting and celebrating Africa’s entrepreneurial talent and promoting entrepreneurship skills.
He was among six judges who recently came to Rwanda for the semi-finals held at Kigali Convention Center on 30th September 2022, during which a Rwandan, Francine Munyaneza, emerged among ten finalists to share Jack Ma’s US$1.5M Prize.
Her company, Munyax Eco Company targets solving Rwanda’s energy challenges in rural and urban areas by providing solar equipment made and tested in Africa.
During his week-long stay in Rwanda, IGIHE sat with Nicolas to talk about his entrepreneurial journey, the efforts needed to shape a positive narrative about Africa, APO Group’s partnership with the Catholic Church in Africa, and other topics of interest.
{{Excerpts: }}
{{APO Group has been in operation for the past 15 years. Briefly tell us what the journey has been like?}}
APO Group was created in 2007 as a press release distribution service.
Today, we have two business units: A press release distribution division and a Public Relations division. We are Pan-African in everything we do. We operate in each of the 54 markets of the continent – including Eritrea and Somaliland, where establishing relationships with media can be very challenging. There is not a single country on the continent where we have not delivered our services.We provide services to more than 300 hundred clients, many of them multinational companies such as Canon, Ecobank and Liquid Intelligent Technology. We are also working with international institutions, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Sports Organizations, with organizations like FIFA, the Jack Ma Foundation, and the African Development Bank (AfDB) among our customers.
We are the Main Official Sponsor of Rugby Africa, the governing body of rugby in Africa, and the strategic partner of the Association of National Olympic Committee of Africa (ANOCA). We are also an Official Partner of Olympic de Marseille, and of Team Qhubeka, the only African professional cycling team.
Our work is to provide Public Relations, media relations, and digital marketing services to our clients all over Africa.
{{Where did you get your inspiration and how is APO Group contributing to job creation and Africa’s economic growth?}}
That’s an interesting question. Two days ago, here in Kigali, I was visiting someone who is very dear to me, without whom I wouldn’t have created APO and be what I am today.
The person is Donald Kaberuka. He was the President of African Development Bank in 2007 and 2008 when I started APO Group. I reminded him of what he told me in 2008 when the company was six months old. It is something that was completely instrumental to our success.
He told me that “the dissemination of information about the African economy can participate to the development of the continent”. In other words, making sure people in the USA, UK, China, Belgium, Brazil and Russia – everywhere – are able to receive information about the economy of the continent will drive potential international investment, and participate in the growth of Africa.
Africa needed to share its good economic news with the world. Once investors would receive that information, they will come forward to invest.
During the past fifteen years, I believe we have had an impact on employment in the African continent, maybe not directly, but through supporting our clients and multinational companies.
We have supported some of the biggest companies in the world as they expand across Africa. Through our partnerships with Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, Lexis Nexis and Factiva – among many others – we make sure information about African economies reaches all the major stock exchanges across the world. That has undoubtedly driven investment in Africa.
By contributing heavily to the dissemination of information about the economy of the continent, we have definitely had an impact on investment and employment.
{{APO Group registered a growth of 88 per cent in revenue in the first half of 2022, compared to the first half of 2021. To what efforts do you attribute this success?}}
In the first quarter of this year, the company’s revenues grew by 70% compared to the first quarter of 2021. In the first semester of this year, the company’s revenues grew by 88% compared to the same period last year. By the end of the year, we expect the growth to hit three figures.
A lot of that growth can be attributed to multinational companies investing heavily in Africa, and specifically on communications.
As an example, I am a member of the Advisory Board of the Africa Hotel and Investment Forum (AHIF) which is the largest event for the hospitality industry in Africa.
Before and during COVID-19, I heard a lot of comments from people who were obviously concerned that the tourism and hospitality industry in Africa might go into decline. But we’ve actually seen the opposite result. APO Group works with Marriott, the leading hospitality group globally. We also have other clients like Radisson, Hilton and Accor. All of these organizations continue to work with us, and are maintaining or increasing their communication spending.
By looking at our growth, you can ascertain a lot about the dynamism of the continent and the appetite of multinational companies developing their presence in Africa.
Usually, people say that if a company is reducing investment, the first thing they cut is communications. If APO Group is growing, it means that there are many multinational companies investing in their PR and Communication. That’s good news for the continent.
{{What should be done for the continent’s communication industry to thrive and promote positive narrative about Africa?}}
Both the media and the Public Relations industry have an important role to play, but it is a long road ahead.
Africa is often portrayed in a negative light by the international media. They tend to play to the negative preconceptions of the western audience. Mostly, the news is of poverty, famine, conflict and corruption.
That is not an accurate depiction of what I see when I am travelling across Africa.
Public Relations Agencies like APO Group have an opportunity to carry positive news that can change the narrative about the continent. But then, the responsibility is passed on to the media.
I am very worried about the increasing expansion and influence of the international media in Africa. We are witnessing an increasing number of international media creating African subsidiaries, opening offices and so on, and perpetuating their own preconceived opinions and bias.
The so-called “international” media – I am referring to CNN, BBC, Aljazeera, TV 5 Monde, France 24, and so forth – are not truly “international” at all. Really, they are “national” media with “international” geographical coverage.
So here is the problem: If I go to my room at the Radisson here in Kigali, I can watch CNN, BBC, Aljazeera and more. If I go to Europe, what Pan-African equivalent media can I watch?
I do not want Africans to be condemned to simply listen to what the “international” media are saying about them.
{{APO Group recently signed a partnership with the Symposium of Episcopal of Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). What does it this mean for African countries like Rwanda where a large number of the population is Catholic?}}
At the Vatican, in May this year, APO Group signed a partnership with the Catholic Church in Africa through their governing body, the Symposium of Episcopal of Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).
APO Group is providing two main services: The first is media relations capacity building. As we speak, APO Group is planning online training for more than 150 delegates across all the Church’s episcopal conferences with sessions held in English, French and Portuguese. I recently met Cardinal Kambanda at the General Assembly of the Catholic Church in Accra, and we had a very productive meeting in Kigali a couple of days ago. Rwanda will be part of that training.
By doing that, we will increase both the quantity and the quality of the content produced by the Catholic Church in Africa. We will show the Church’s communication managers how to draft proper press releases, the importance of images and video, how they can use smart phones to produce content, and so on.
With the training in full flow, there will be a huge increase in the amount of Catholic Church content by the end of the first quarter next year.
The second part of the agreement is that APO Group will distribute all the content these communications professionals produce, including text, images, videos and soundbites from all echelons of the Church, from parishes, dioceses, episcopal conferences, regional episcopal conferences, and of course the governing body of the Catholic Church in Africa, the SECAM.
One of the things most Africans know but sometimes need to be reminded of, is the importance of the Catholic Church in Africa. 20% of the entire African population is Catholic, and, while the number of Catholics globally is decreasing slightly, in Africa it continues to rise.
The Catholic Church in Africa is deeply involved in development activities across the continent, managing countless schools and hospitals.
The Church has a huge impact on the African continent in terms of education, health and conflict mediation.
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Agaciro Development Fund becomes a TDB Group Shareholder
Commenting on the development; TDB Group President Emeritus and Managing Director, Admassu Tadesse said: “We salute Agaciro Development Fund as the first sovereign wealth fund to invest in TDB Group equity capital.
This investment illustrates the growing interest and confidence of institutional investors in TDB’s opportunities. We are proud to be able to continue attracting and making African capital work for Africa’s development, while delivering competitive returns.”
Agaciro Development Fund Chief Executive Officer Gilbert Nyatanyi said that, since inception, Agaciro has principally been reliant on receiving voluntary contributions from Rwandans and friends of Rwanda.
“With the recent phasing out of the contributions Agaciro is rebalancing and diversifying its investments be it in terms of asset classes as geographically in order to further grow the fund with return on investments. Investing in TDB fits perfectly into this approach,” he noted.
In 2013, TDB introduced Class B shares to mobilize capital from institutional investors. This asset class has drawn a lot of interest from investors because of the Bank’s consistent capital growth, impact, and solid profit base.
TDB’s net asset value has grown to USD 13,846 as of 2021, at a 5-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 7%, and its dividend yield has averaged about 3% over the past 5 years. Since its inception, close to 258 million has been invested in the Class B shares by institutional investors.
The Bank’s shareholding comprises 23 member states, two non-regional members countries, and with Agaciro Development Fund,19 institutional shareholders.
TDB Group Executive Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations Mary Kamari said that it is an honor for TDB Group to welcome Agaciro Development Fund in its family of institutional shareholders.
“With this new investment, and with Rwanda as one of our founding member states, AgDF becomes our second Rwandan institutional shareholder after the Rwanda Social Security Board [RSSB] and we are proud of the sustained confidence in TDB Group to deliver results,” she stated.
Agaciro joins a group of 18 other institutional investors from Africa and the rest of the world, mainly Europe and Asia, which include pension funds, insurance companies, development finance institutions, special funds and now, a sovereign wealth fund.
With an estimate of over US$ 600 billion in pension fund assets in Africa, organizations like RSSB and Agaciro Development Fund have the opportunity to diversify their portfolios by investing in Class B shares.
As TDB expands its geographic footprint, it remains committed to providing innovative financing solutions, crowding in institutional capital and promoting integrated sustainable development for the region.
{{About TDB}}
Established in 1985, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) is a multilateral, treaty-based, investment-grade development finance institution, with 41 sovereign and institutional shareholders and assets of US$ 8 billion.
TDB serves 23 economies in its region, with the mandate to finance and foster trade, regional economic integration, and sustainable development through trade finance, project and infrastructure finance and asset management.
TDB is part of TDB Group, which also comprises the Trade and Development Fund (TDF), the Eastern and Southern African Trade Fund (ESATF), TDB Captive Insurance (TCI), and TDB Academy
{{About Agaciro Development Fund}}
As one of the many home-grown solutions playing a significant role in Rwanda’s transformation, Agaciro Development Fund (Agaciro), Rwanda Sovereign Wealth Fund, was born out of the Rwandans’ need to protect the country against economic shocks, to build savings for future generations and to accelerate socio-economic development. Agaciro was officially launched on 23 August 2012 by His Excellency Mr. Paul Kagame the President of the Republic of Rwanda.
Fully owned by the people of Rwanda and named “AGACIRO”, meaning dignity which was embraced as Rwanda’s key moral value in its journey towards sustainable socio-economic development, further summarised as “Prosperity for generations” – “Umurage w’ubukungu”, it started with approximately US$ 18,000,000 capital contributed by Rwandans and friends of Rwanda.
By the end of 2021, Agaciro has grown to approximately US$ 250,000,000, including fixed income investments (Treasury Bonds, corporate bonds, commercials papers, term deposits, …) and equity investments in 30 companies.
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Eng. Emile Patrick Baganizi named Acting Director General of RURA
His new position has been announced through a communiqué released by the Office of Prime Minister on Tuesday 11th October 2022.
It also indicates that the appointment takes immediate effect.
Eng. Emile Patrick Baganizi has been serving as the Deputy Director General of Rwanda Transport Development Authority (RTDA).
RURA gets a new boss following the dismissal of three top executives owing to indiscipline and managerial failures, announced on Monday 10th October 2022.
These include the former Acting Director General, Eng. Deo Muvunyi; Pearl Uwera, Senior Manager in Charge of Finance and Fabian Rwabizi, Senior Manager in Charge of Human Resource and Administration.
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It has become a hub for tourism: How taxes contributed to rapid development of Musanze over the past 25 years
As a result some businesses evaded taxes yet paying dues to the national treasury serves as the foundation for many development activities.
It is possible that a person may be wondering how the taxes benefit them, but the truth is that evading taxes would see many activities going awry.
This article will focus on the development of the Musanze District over the past 25 years since Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) took over tax collection duties.
The Government of Rwanda allocates the budget to districts for various development activities. Part of the funds is utilized to address some of citizens’ concerns with a large portion derived from taxes.
Areas of focus include construction of roads, schools, health facilities, hospitals, business centers (workshops), markets, access to water and electricity as well.
Musanze is among districts where such development activities have considerably transformed residents” livelihoods.
{{Kinigi Model Village}}
Built by the Rwandan Army, Kinigi Model Village is located 12 kilometers from Musanze Town. It is consisted of multi-storey buildings built for 144 needy families.
The modern village has all the basic infrastructure such as water, hospitals, schools and recreational areas.
Each family accommodated in these houses is provided with basic furniture including mattresses, beds, chairs and televisions.
The construction of Kinigi Model Village cost Rwf26.6 billion, of which nearly Rwf8 billion was allocated for the construction of residential houses, Rwf1.5 billion for the construction of a health center and Rwf3.3 billion for the construction of schools and childcare center.
Buying 102 cows and 8000 chickens for the families living in this village, building a shed, business center workshop, planting gardens and fruit trees cost Rwf1.8 billion while other works such as roads, electricity, planting trees and expropriation cost more than Rwf11 billion.
Residents settled down in this village told IGIHE that they are glad for the support extended to them where their livelihoods have improved significantly.
The Head Teacher of Kampanga High School built in this village, Jean de Dieu Twagirimana said they are happy that President Paul Kagame walks the talk.
“We thank the President of the Republic because he fulfills promises. Having a school like this with all equipment in the countryside, is beyond one’s imagination and evidences how the country has expended much effort in different areas of development,” he said.
Since 2016, 82 modern villages have been built. Five of them including Rweru, Kazirankara-Nyundo, Horezo-Kanyenyeri, Karama, and Gishuro were inaugurated by President Kagame.
{{Schools’ development and upgrade of IPRC Musanze}}
Education is among areas that received attention in Musanze District where each sector has primary and secondary schools.
It has more than 400 classrooms that cost more than Rwf1.8 billion.
The government and development partners managed to upgrade the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Center (IPRC) in Musanze, which capacitated it to open doors for more children.
{{The topography of Musanze, building block of development}}
Musanze is one of the five regions that make up the Northern Province. It has the uniqueness of being a tourist destination over the presence volcanoes and other touristic attractions.
This region is considered as the hub for tourism in the country Rwanda, and is the district most visited by tourists.
They are mainly attracted by the Volcano Park which is home to mountain gorillas, Buhanga Eco-park as well as the volcanoes of Muhabura, Gahinga, Kalisimbi, Bisoke and Sabyinyo.
Musanze is one of the six secondary cities and has been equipped with various infrastructures luring tourists to prolong their stay. These include hotels and other leisure activities.
In addition to the main commercial buildings upgraded day-to-day, Musanze town has high-end hotels that welcome tourists from all walks of life.
Among the largest hotels in the city there is Singita Kwitonda Lodge and Kataza House built at a cost of $25 million; The One & Only Gorilla’s Nest is built in Kinigi in a tropical forest, a volcanic area, and Bisate Lodge.
Among other large-scale projects, an industrial zone has been set up. The latter accommodates Prime Cement Factory while plans are underway to set up an assembling facility for Volkswagen cars.
Musanze’s development is mainly rooted on tourism related investment.
Figures released in 2019 show that the area is home to more than 30 hotels, while other major economic activities include potato farming and animal husbandry among others.
The Mayor of Musanze District, Janvier Ramuli, said that safety, decent roads, electricity and magnificent buildings are among other factors that attract visitors as they add up to many reasons to stay comfortably in a particular place.
Over the past 25 years, Musanze has developed infrastructure including roads – given that the district is has over 80 kilometers of tarmac roads, hotels and commercial buildings such as modern markets and residential houses.
The statistics show that Musanze District had a few development activities in the last 25 years but have increased at large scale.
Through taxes, the district has become a tourist destination and models rapid development.
The taxes collected in Musanze District have been increasing as years go by.
Statistics from Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) show that Musanze District collected Rwf6.7 billion in taxes in 2014/2015 which increased to Rwf14.5 billion in 2021/2022.
Among the works carried out include the construction of 76 kilometers of tarmac roads and other feeder roads.
90% of the population has access to water, while 51,117 households have access to the main-grid while others use renewable sources of energy.
25 years ago, the district had no decent market but has got a five-storey modern market, as well as business center workshops that have been constructed to promote jobs’ creation.
Currently, Musanze has 23 factories including Prime Cement. It has also built a modern bus terminal.
With the majority of the population forcing their meal upon agriculture, Musanze registers 38,000 hectares of arable land.
More than 350 cooperatives bringing together residents involved in different activities including agriculture, handicrafts, tourism and others have bene established and contribute in no small part to members’ livelihoods transformation.
25 years ago, the district had 33 nursery schools but have increased to 113.
Primary schools have also increased from 87 to 109, the number of secondary schools went up from 11 to 71 while universities increased from four to seven.
Some of these schools are owned by the government, partners or members of the private sector.
As for the health sector, the district has Ruhengeri Hospital which has undergone major facelift, 16 health centers and 32 health posts.
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Alibaba kicks off new edition of Netpreneur Training Program for Rwanda
Scheduled to run from 11th October to 10th November, the training seeks to equip entrepreneurs and business leaders across different sectors with tangible and actionable steps they can take to advance in the digital economy.
Its launch comes after the success of the first and second classes, which graduated a total of 33 Rwandan participants in 2019 and 2021.
Following a rigorous selection process, the final candidates will embark on a series of online classes where they will delve into approaches to harnessing technology to grow their businesses within the local economy. All participants are founders of their respective start-ups from industries such as agriculture, education, information & communication technology (ICT), and trading.
“We are delighted to be able to continue advancing our vision of sharing the positive impact of the digital economy with entrepreneurs and enrolling our third cohort of Rwandan participants. With companies taking to online channels to keep their business afloat during the pandemic, digitalization is no longer a foreign concept to consumers and entrepreneurs.
We hope this edition of our Alibaba Netpreneur Training will help entrepreneurs in Rwanda develop long-term, savvy digital strategies that will open up more opportunities for them,” said Dan Liu, Senior Advisor at Alibaba Global Initiatives.
The Alibaba Netpreneur Training program is conducted online in English by certified Alibaba trainers and business leaders who have had experience leading their own digital businesses to success.
Participants can deepen their knowledge and understanding of: the digital economy in China and the latest trends and practices shaping its development; the journey of select traditional businesses that have successfully gone through digital transformation, the evolution of Alibaba’s business, including the role of digital technology in supporting the growth of companies in its ecosystem.
They will also be taken through frameworks and approaches for building a successful and innovative business in today’s digital world.
Participants who complete the program will receive an e-certificate and will be eligible to join the AGI entrepreneur community. The community comprises a diverse mix of passionate and successful like-minded entrepreneurs, and provides unmatched opportunities to network, collaborate and learn.
Outstanding participants will also have the opportunity to participate in a one-week offline immersion program at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China, subject to fulfilling the online course criteria.
The Alibaba Netpreneur Training Program is part of Alibaba’s initiatives to help promote economic development in Rwanda. In 2018, the first eWTP (electronic world trade platform) hub in Africa was launched in Rwanda following the signing of three Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) between the Rwandan Government and Alibaba Group.
Key initiatives under the collaboration include helping Rwandan small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) sell their products to Chinese consumers and providing capacity building to support Rwanda’s digital economy.
The Alibaba Netpreneur Training Program was first introduced in 2019 and has successfully trained close to 1,500 entrepreneurs in Africa, Europe, Latin America as well as South and Southeast Asia since its inception.
{{About Alibaba Group}}
Alibaba Group’s mission is to make it easy to do business anywhere. The company aims to build the future infrastructure of commerce. It envisions that its customers will meet, work and live at Alibaba, and that it will be a good company that lasts at least 102 years.
{{About Alibaba Global Initiatives}}
Alibaba Global Initiatives (AGI) inspires and supports entrepreneurs, youth and women globally by sharing the positive impact of the digital economy in promoting inclusive development.
Its programs encourage entrepreneurs to share and use digital economy tools to create a positive social impact and to collaborate with each other as well as the public sector to make a larger impact.
To date, there are close to 1,900 digital entrepreneurs and business leaders from more than 60 countries and regions trained directly by AGI, who have subsequently shared their learnings with other members of their own communities.
{{About the Rwanda Development Board}}
Rwanda Development Board (RDB)’s mission is to fast track economic development in Rwanda by enabling private sector growth with a vision of transforming Rwanda into a dynamic global hub for business, investment and innovation.
