Category: Uncategorized

  • State University of New York explores partnership with Rwanda under Africa initiative #rwanda #RwOT

    A high-level delegation from SUNY, comprising senior leaders and university presidents, concluded a two-day visit to Kigali on Friday, July 18, 2025, with a declaration of intent to collaborate, made in partnership with Rwanda’s Ministry of Education.

    Speaking during the event held at Serena Hotel Kigali, Dr. Melur K. 'Ram' Ramasubramanian, SUNY’s Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, emphasised the institution’s long-term commitment to fostering mutually beneficial relationships with African nations.

    'We’re here to explore the possibility of deploying our Africa initiative and building long-term collaborations with the education system of Rwanda,' he said. 'We’ve been impressed by the commitment of the people and the opportunities we’ve encountered.'

    The delegation’s visit to Rwanda followed an earlier stop in Kenya and will continue to other countries, including Nigeria and Ghana.

    The SUNY Africa Initiative is an intentional global strategy aimed at deepening academic and cultural ties across the continent. The delegation’s visit to Rwanda followed an earlier stop in Kenya and will continue to other countries, including Nigeria and Ghana.

    Dr. Ramasubramanian outlined key areas of interest, including student and faculty exchange programmes, joint research, online education offerings, and workforce development initiatives.

    'We call this the SUNY Africa Initiative… Our goal is to build long-standing academic programmes where students from Rwanda can come to the United States to study at one of our 64 campuses,' he said.

    'At the same time, we want our students to experience the culture and innovation happening here in Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills and a thousand smiles.'

    Dr. Melur K. 'Ram' Ramasubramanian, SUNY’s Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost, presented a letter of intent to Rwanda’s Minister of Education, Dr. Joseph Nsengimana.

    Research collaboration is another key priority, particularly in fields aligned with Rwanda’s national development goals. SUNY officials expressed interest in partnering in areas such as energy, mining, and materials science.

    'We have research interests aligned with Rwanda’s priorities, such as energy and minerals,' said Dr. Ramasubramanian.

    'At SUNY Poly, for instance, Professor Soboyejo, an international expert in materials science, and his team, along with other material scientists within the SUNY system, are planning to collaborate with Rwandan counterparts to not only support the immediate use of extracted minerals but also innovate and modify these materials for future applications.'

    Dr. Ramasubramanian outlined key areas of interest, including student and faculty exchange programmes, joint research, online education offerings, and workforce development initiatives.

    Rwanda’s Minister of Education, Dr. Joseph Nsengimana, welcomed the collaboration, noting that the government prioritises such partnerships in pursuit of its Vision 2050 goals.

    'To achieve that vision, we must ensure that we have a workforce capable of delivering on it,' he said. 'Collaborations like this bring significant value to the country and help us build the Rwanda we want and deserve.'

    The discussions also highlighted Rwanda’s interest in tapping into SUNY’s expertise in areas such as materials science, advanced manufacturing, and e-learning. Dr. Nsengimana noted that Rwanda is exploring 'e-internships' that would allow students to gain international experience virtually, expanding access to global opportunities without leaving the country.

    Minister of Education, Dr. Joseph Nsengimana, welcomed the collaboration, noting that the government prioritises such partnerships in pursuit of its Vision 2050 goals.

    Dr. Winston 'Wole' Soboyejo, President of SUNY Polytechnic Institute and Chairman of the Council of the Institute of Applied Sciences at the University of Rwanda, stressed the importance of aligning education with industrial needs.

    'We listened to industry here in Rwanda articulate their needs for skilled human capacity to scale, and we believe SUNY can play a role in bridging that gap,' he said. 'We’re thinking not just of students travelling to New York, but also of short courses and online education tailored to Rwanda’s needs.'

    Dr. Winston 'Wole' Soboyejo highlighted the need to align education with industry demands.

    Dr. Peter O. Nwosu, President of SUNY Oswego, pointed to SUNY’s involvement in major U.S. industrial development projects as a model for collaboration.

    'In Central New York, we’re working with Micron Technology on a $100 billion investment in semiconductor manufacturing,' he said.

    'This kind of transformation requires talent — the right kind of workforce. That’s where universities come in, and we want to explore what we can learn from Rwanda and what we can offer in return.'

    Dr. Peter O. Nwosu cited SUNY’s role in major U.S. industrial projects as a model for collaboration.

    Rwanda’s openness to innovation was another key point of interest. 'One intriguing idea we heard is Rwanda being open to acting as a proof of concept,' said Dr. Ramasubramanian. 'We have faculty developing new ideas, and Rwanda could offer a place to test and refine these ideas before scaling them globally.'

    The SUNY delegation included university presidents from SUNY Oswego, SUNY Cortland, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and SUNY Fredonia, as well as senior officials in international education and external relations. Among them were Dr. Joshua S. McKeown, Associate Provost for International Education and Programs at SUNY Oswego, and Wayne Westervelt, Vice President for External Relations at SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

    Minister of Education Dr. Joseph Nsengimana addresses the press at Kigali Serena Hotel alongside SUNY officials.

    During their visit, the delegation engaged with the University of Rwanda, Rwanda Polytechnic, and various private industry stakeholders.

    Dr. Stephen H. Kolison Jr., President of SUNY Fredonia, expressed appreciation for the hospitality and vision he witnessed during the visit. 'The potential to do things here is just tremendous,' he said. 'We hope to return.'

    The collaboration, still in exploratory stages, is expected to lead to a range of academic activities, including co-developed programmes, research partnerships, and expanded student mobility between Rwanda and the SUNY system, which serves over 375,000 students across 64 campuses in New York State.

    'We believe in starting small and executing quickly,' said Dr. Ramasubramanian. 'It’s only a matter of time before we return and move to the next phase of implementation.'

    A high-level delegation from SUNY, comprising senior leaders and university presidents, concluded a two-day visit to Kigali on Friday, July 18, 2025, with a declaration of intent to collaborate, made in partnership with Rwanda’s Ministry of Education.

    Wycliffe Nyamasege

    Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/state-university-of-new-york-explores-partnership-with-rwanda-under-africa

  • Airtel Rwanda launches AI-powered system to curb mobile money fraud #rwanda #RwOT

    Airtel Rwanda announced on Thursday, July 17, 2025, that whenever suspicious messages are detected, customers will receive them with a warning label advising caution.

    Airtel Rwanda’s Managing Director, Emmanuel Hamez, said the system was launched in response to the growing number of cybercrimes, particularly mobile money fraud.

    'This is part of our commitment to enhancing safety and protecting our customers from internet-related crimes and financial fraud. In recent months, we’ve seen a rise in mobile money theft, particularly through SMS scams. Today, we’re pleased to announce that, as of two weeks ago, we’ve implemented a system that flags potentially fraudulent SMS messages with a warning.'

    The AI system analyses messages for characteristics common in scam texts, such as frequently used words by fraudsters, patterns of mass messaging, and other indicators.

    Once the AI detects suspicious activity, it flags the message with a warning before delivering it to the customer.

    If the sender’s number continues to distribute fraudulent messages and is confirmed as suspicious, that number may be blocked.

    Gaaga Jean Claude, Managing Director of Airtel Money Rwanda, stated that Airtel worked closely with various government agencies to understand the nature of mobile money fraud, leading to the decision to develop and implement a proactive solution.

    He emphasised that using AI to combat cyber fraud is timely, given the growing reliance on digital systems and the evolving tactics of fraudsters.

    'AI is an advanced technology that enables machines to mimic human intelligence, and it is widely used around the world. That’s why we adopted it, to enhance the security of our customers’ funds,' he said.

    Gaaga added that Airtel already had a system in place to help customers recover stolen money when reported, and it has proven effective. Statistics show that mobile money fraud incidents involving Airtel customers remain below 2% of total reported fraud cases nationwide.

    The new fraud detection system is free of charge and doesn’t require customers to register, as it has been automatically activated for all Airtel users.

    Airtel Rwanda also plans to expand the warning system to detect fraud not only in SMS, but also in phone calls and social media messages used by scammers to steal money.

    Airtel Rwanda’s Managing Director, Emmanuel Hamez, said the system was launched in response to the growing number of cybercrimes, particularly mobile money fraud.

    The MD noted that the AI system analyses messages for characteristics common in scam texts, such as frequently used words by fraudsters, patterns of mass messaging, and other indicators.

    IGIHE

    Source : https://en.igihe.com/science-technology/article/airtel-rwanda-launches-ai-powered-system-to-curb-mobile-money-fraud

  • Borders made in Berlin, bloodshed in Congo – But Rwanda didn’t draw the map #rwanda #RwOT

    The truth lies not in today’s borders or politics, but in the brutal legacy of colonialism that divided a continent without consent.

    'They call them Rwandans, but history tells a different story.'_ Björn Sundeby

    The colonial roots of a crisis

    In 1885, the Berlin Conference convened European powers to divide the African continent among themselves. No African leaders were present. The result was a map designed for exploitation, not cohesion- drawn with straight lines that ignored cultures, kingdoms, and communities. Rwanda, Burundi, and parts of what is now eastern DRC were sliced apart and reassembled to suit colonial ambitions.

    The Great Lakes Region was particularly affected. Rwanda, then a centralized kingdom with extended influence, found parts of its cultural and linguistic communities fall under colonial Congo’s jurisdiction. Colonial powers, notably Belgium moved populations for labor, manipulated ethnic identities for control, and left behind fragile states upon departure.

    Case in point: Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese in Kivu

    Across both North and South Kivu, Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese communities have long lived as full citizens of Congo. Yet they have been systematically marginalized, stripped of rights, and treated as foreigners simply for sharing a language with neighboring Rwanda. This linguistic marker has become a weapon, used to justify discrimination and even violence.

    Laws like the 1981 Citizenship Law retroactively questioned their national status. In public speeches and media broadcasts, some Congolese officials and militia leaders have framed these communities as “invaders,” “Rwandan agents,” or “non-nationals.” This has fueled hate crimes, mass displacements, and targeted killings, especially during and after the Congo Wars and again in recent election periods.

    The most devastating truth? Many of these citizens have never known another home. They were born in Congo. Their parents were born in Congo. Yet they are made to feel stateless, punished for borders they never crossed but that were drawn around them.

    Stop blaming Rwanda. Start facing history

    Blaming Rwanda is easy. It’s also lazy. Rwanda did not draw these borders. It did not attend the Berlin Conference. Nor is it responsible for Congo’s failure to integrate its own ethnic communities. The real enemy is the unresolved legacy of colonialism, and the refusal to address historical injustices that turned neighbors into enemies.

    To build peace, we must start with the truth: Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese are not Rwandan. They are Congolese. Full stop.

    A sticky truth: It’s not about borders. It’s about the money

    Here’s the hard truth. Eastern Congo is not poor. It is one of the richest regions in Africa. From gold and cobalt to coltan and timber, the wealth of North and South Kivu could transform the entire region. But that wealth is not shared. It is looted by warlords, political elites, and even international actors.

    The problem is not ethnic. It’s economical. Power is hoarded not to govern better, but to control flows of cash. And the people? They get nothing.

    That’s why we must stop asking who belongs where and start asking who benefits from what.

    Rethinking governance: From Kivu to Switzerland?

    What if we turned to models that actually work? Take Switzerland—a multiethnic, multilingual, decentralized country where local communities govern themselves through cantonal systems. Power is not imposed from the top. It is shared horizontally. The result is peace, order, and shared prosperity.

    Can North and South Kivu take a similar path?

    A new idea: Building the new Kivu — Stable, sustainable, and shared

    The crisis in North and South Kivu is not just ethnic- it’s structural, rooted in three interconnected failures: security, economic injustice, and political exclusion. Security has collapsed because people no longer trust national forces to protect them, leading to the rise of militias.

    The region is economically rich but looted and mismanaged, with wealth extracted by elites while local communities remain in poverty. Politically, the people of Kivu are governed from afar, with little say in decisions that affect their daily lives. To build the New Kivu, all three areas must be addressed together, not in isolation.

    This new vision calls for a 'New Kivu Compact'- a regional model grounded in localized governance, transparent economic management, and inclusive politics. Security must be community-driven, with local oversight and reintegration programs for ex-combatants.

    The economy must be people-centered, with public-private investments in youth, digital resource tracking, and regional development funds. Politically, Kivu needs regional assemblies with real power, inclusive representation, and civic participation. Inspired by models like Switzerland’s decentralization, Burkina Faso’s reforms, and IST GROUP’s investment model in Rwanda, this compact offers a stable, sustainable, and shared future for one of Africa’s richest yet most troubled regions.

    Final word: Africa didn’t scramble itself, but it can heal itself

    Blaming Rwanda is a distraction. The real work is here: fair governance, honest economics, and local empowerment. Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese are not the problem. They are part of the solution. So are the Nande, Havu, Shi, Hunde, Nyanga, and every other community in Kivu. The region can be governed, but not through fear and exclusion. It must be built on partnership, transparency, and peace.

    Kivu Land is not just a war zone. It is a land of opportunity if Kivu natives dare to organize it right.

    The author, Björn Sundeby is the founder of and Chairman of the Board at IST, Scandinavia’s leading EdTech company.

    Björn Sundeby

    Source : https://en.igihe.com/opinion/article/borders-made-in-berlin-bloodshed-in-congo-but-rwanda-didn-t-draw-the-map

  • Trump diagnosed with “chronic venous insufficiency” #rwanda #RwOT

    According to Leavitt, ultrasound exams performed on Trump’s legs revealed chronic venous insufficiency, a condition frequently found in individuals over the age of 70.

    Leavitt said additional exams identified Trump with “no signs of heart failure, renal impairment or systemic illness.”

    Trump, 79, was recently photographed at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where visible swelling around his ankles sparked public speculation about his health.

    White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on July 17, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with a common and benign vein condition after experiencing swelling in his lower legs, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Thursday.

    Xinhua

    Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/trump-diagnosed-with-chronic-venous-insufficiency

  • Rwanda, Antigua and Barbuda ink deals on visa waiver, health, tourism #rwanda #RwOT

    The deals, signed on Thursday, July 17, in New York, include a visa waiver for all passport holders and two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) covering health and tourism.

    Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Martin Ngoga, and Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Walton Webson, signed the agreements on behalf of their respective countries.

    The visa waiver agreement allows nationals of both countries to travel without the need for entry, transit, or visitor visas. Officials say the move will ease travel restrictions, promote cultural and economic exchange, and enhance mobility between the two nations.

    The MoU on health outlines areas of collaboration including disease prevention, HIV/AIDS and malaria programmes, maternal and child health, health insurance systems, pharmaceutical cooperation, and epidemiological surveillance. The agreement is expected to support knowledge exchange and capacity building in both countries’ health sectors.

    In tourism, the two nations committed to working together to promote sustainable travel and eco-tourism, and to explore innovations in green energy and climate-resilient tourism strategies. The MoU also provides a framework for joint marketing and tourism development initiatives.

    The agreements are part of Rwanda’s broader strategy to deepen engagement with the Caribbean and advance South-South cooperation.

    Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Martin Ngoga, and Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Walton Webson, signed the agreements on behalf of their respective countries.

    The deals, signed on Thursday, July 17, in New York, include a visa waiver for all passport holders and two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) covering health and tourism.

    IGIHE

    Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-antigua-and-barbuda-ink-deals-on-visa-waiver-health-tourism

  • Three agro-processing enterprises set for possible privatization #rwanda #RwOT

    The disclosure followed a report from the Office of the Auditor General for the fiscal year ending June 2024 which highlighted significant concerns. Nyabihu Potato Company received Frw 180 million from NIRDA but continued to report losses.

    Rwamagana Banana Wine, which had already been allocated Frw 1.4 billion, also failed to turn a profit, with the agency still investing additional funds into its operations.

    In the 2024/2025 financial year alone, NIRDA disbursed over Frw 430 million into companies where it holds equity, in an attempt to cover recurring costs such as salaries, raw materials, utilities, and general upkeep.

    Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on July 15, 2025, NIRDA Director General Dr. Christian Sekomo Birame admitted that the factories were performing far below expectations.

    He said Nyabihu Potato Company is operating at less than 10 percent of its installed capacity, Rwamagana Banana Wine at roughly 20 percent, and Rutsiro Honey somewhere between 30 and 40 percent.

    Dr. Birame said that Nyabihu Potato Company, which was originally designed to produce a range of potato-based products, only processes French fries.

    He noted that the factory has struggled due to a key machine that was supposed to handle peeled, roasted, and raw fries but never operated properly. At the close of the 2023/2024 fiscal year, the factory was still in the process of working with the equipment supplier to conduct training and installation.

    Although the agency maintains that production is ongoing, the Auditor General’s report indicated that the factory had not been operational. Dr. Birame clarified that it only functions intermittently, often just two days at a time, because the products cannot be stored indefinitely.

    Once a batch of fries is processed and packaged, production halts until the stock is sold. He emphasized that this cautious approach is intended to prevent waste and further loss.

    Recognizing the consistent underperformance of the factories, Dr. Birame said that the government’s continued financial involvement is unsustainable and not yielding results. He stressed that these facilities would be better off under private ownership, where there is greater incentive and capacity to run them efficiently.

    Efforts to privatize the factories are not new. NIRDA was instructed five years ago to begin divesting its shares to private investors. However, just as some promising negotiations were nearing conclusion—such as one with a local beekeeping cooperative and another with a Chinese investor—the process was interrupted.

    The disruption occurred following the creation of the Ministry of State-Owned Investments (Mininvest), which temporarily halted the privatization push in favor of injecting more funds to stabilize the factories before any sale could proceed.

    According to Dr. Birame, this change in direction brought several advanced discussions to an abrupt end. In the case of Rutsiro Honey, where there was a viable cooperative ready to take over, conversations facilitated by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) were suddenly stopped. The same happened with a Chinese investor who had shown interest. These missed opportunities, he noted, resulted in the loss of potentially committed buyers.

    Even before this policy shift, earlier negotiations with other prospective investors had also failed to yield results. In the case of Rwamagana Banana Wine, technical issues remain unresolved, further delaying the possibility of a smooth transfer to private ownership.

    NIRDA has since notified the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning that there is no foreseeable path to make these factories fully functional under public management. Dr. Birame said that continuing to fund them only adds to government losses, and privatization is the most practical and urgent solution.

    He emphasized that while the factories are not completely dysfunctional, their output is so limited that no return on investment can be expected in the current form. The most responsible move, he added, is to sell them 'as-is' rather than continue draining public funds.

    By the end of July 2025, the Ministry of Finance is expected to convene shareholders of the three factories to ask whether they are willing or able to purchase the government’s shares. If they cannot, the shares will be placed on the open market.

    Commenting on the broader issue of state-run businesses, economic analyst Straton Habyarimana recently told IGIHE that governments rarely succeed when they try to run commercial enterprises directly.

    He explained that public officials tend to manage state companies as administrators, not entrepreneurs. Without a profit-driven mindset, accountability suffers and so does efficiency.

    He added that while private investors treat businesses as personal assets, public managers often behave like caretakers of public property, which significantly affects performance.

    Rwanda boasts more than 1,300 factories, including 85 large-scale agro-processing plants.

    Rwamagana Banana Wine operates in the Rwamagana Industrial Park.

    IGIHE

    Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/three-agro-processing-enterprises-set-for-possible-privatization

  • French military ends permanent presence in Senegal #rwanda #RwOT

    Camp Geille, the largest French military installation in Senegal located in the capital Dakar, and the French air detachment at Dakar’s international airport were officially transferred to the Senegalese authorities at a ceremony attended by Mbaye Cisse, chief of General Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, and Pascal Ianni, commander of French forces in Africa.

    At the ceremony, Ianni said that the handover of Camp Geille marked the end of France’s permanent military presence in Senegal and the beginning of a new phase in bilateral military cooperation.

    For his part, Cisse said that the Senegalese government is updating its defense and security cooperation framework, with a core focus on supporting the autonomous development of Senegal’s military.

    “The future direction of Senegal-France cooperation will depend on the political will of both governments and must also show greater respect for Senegal’s sovereignty,” he added.

    French troops have been present in Senegal since the country gained independence in 1960.

    On Dec. 31, 2024, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye urged French forces to leave the country, while delivering his New Year’s address.

    In recent years, several African nations, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Cote d’Ivoire, have urged the withdrawal of French and U.S. troops and the handover of their military bases.

    Mbaye Cisse (R, front), chief of General Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, and Pascal Ianni (L, front), commander of French forces in Africa, attend the handover ceremony of Camp Geille, the largest French military installation in Senegal located in Dakar, Senegal, on July 17, 2025. France on Thursday handed over its last two military facilities in Senegal to local authorities, marking the end of its permanent military presence in the West African country. (Photo by Papa Demba Gueye/Xinhua)

    Xinhua

    Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/french-military-ends-permanent-presence-in-senegal

  • UN appoints Guang Cong as new special envoy for the Horn of Africa #rwanda #RwOT

    The Secretary-General expressed deep appreciation for Tetteh’s leadership and dedicated service during her tenure. Her contributions were particularly noted in advancing peacebuilding and diplomatic engagement across the volatile Horn of Africa region.

    Guang Cong brings over 23 years of experience in United Nations peace operations, with much of his work focused on the Horn of Africa. He is currently serving as Deputy Special Representative (Political) for South Sudan and Deputy Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

    From 2016 to 2020, he served as Director of Civil Affairs in UNMISS, having earlier held leadership roles in several other UN missions. These include his tenure as Chief of Civil Affairs in the UN-African Union Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), and earlier posts in Jonglei State, Blue Nile State, and Abyei under the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).

    His extensive international service also includes work as Chief of Political Affairs and Chief of Staff at the United Nations Special Coordinator’s Office in Lebanon (2012—2014) and as a senior field officer with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) between 2002 and 2009.

    Before joining the UN, Mr. Cong held a diplomatic career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

    He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Shanghai International Studies University and a Graduate Certificate from China Foreign Affairs University. In addition to his native Chinese, he speaks fluent English.

    Mr. Cong is expected to bring deep regional knowledge and diplomatic experience to his new role at a critical time for the Horn of Africa, a region facing complex challenges ranging from conflict and displacement to climate-driven crises.

    A file picture of Cong Guang (R), newly appointed new UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s special envoy for the Horn of Africa. /UN

    Théophile Niyitegeka

    Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/un-appoints-guang-cong-as-new-special-envoy-for-the-horn-of-africa

  • Cameroonian president submits files for presidential election candidacy #rwanda #RwOT

    The files were submitted by Jean Kuete, secretary general of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) party.

    Kuete told reporters after officially submitting the files that CPDM is “fully ready for the election any time”.

    On Sunday, Biya, 92, officially announced that he will run for the upcoming presidential election. He became president in 1982, and was re-elected president in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1997, 2004, 2011 and 2018.

    The Elecam said that Biya is among some nine political leaders who have already submitted their application files for the election.

    The deadline to submit the application is July 21, according to the country’s electoral code. Cameroon’s presidential election is scheduled for Oct. 12.

    The candidacy application files of Cameroonian President Paul Biya for the presidential election were submitted on Thursday, according to the country’s electoral body, Elections Cameroon (Elecam).

    Xinhua

    Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/cameroonian-president-submits-files-for-presidential-election-candidacy

  • AfDB approves over €170 million to boost Rwanda’s universal energy access #rwanda #RwOT

    According to a statement released on July 17, this financing approved by the Board of AfDB on July 14, 2025, will be bolstered by an additional €86.92 million (more than Frw 143 billion) from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), bringing the total program cost to €260.76 million (over Frw 433 billion).

    This marks the AfDB’s second result-based energy sector operation in Rwanda, following a $305 million program in 2018, underscoring Rwanda’s commitment to performance-based financing to bridge its power infrastructure gaps.

    Aligned with Rwanda’s Energy Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP II 2024—2029), the RBF II program is designed to enhance quality of life, spur economic growth, and alleviate poverty through targeted energy sector investments.

    The program focuses on three key areas, namely: modernising and expanding the electricity grid, increasing access to both on-grid and off-grid electricity and clean cooking technologies, and building technical and institutional capacity.

    It aims to connect 200,000 households and 850 productive use customers to the national grid, provide 50,000 new off-grid electricity connections, distribute clean cooking devices to 100,000 households and 310 public institutions, and install street lighting across 200 km of roads in Rwanda’s secondary cities.

    As a cornerstone of the AfDB’s High-5 priority areas—'Light up and Power Africa' and 'Improve the Quality of Life of the People of Africa'—the RBF II program also supports the ambitious Mission 300 Initiative, a joint effort by the AfDB and the World Bank to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.

    This initiative complements Rwanda’s remarkable strides in expanding electricity access.
    According to a recent report by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), household access to electricity significantly increased, from 34% in 2017 to 72% in 2024.

    The findings, published in the Seventh Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV7) on April 16, 2025, show that 50% of households are now connected to the national grid, while 22% rely on standalone solar systems.

    While urban areas experienced an increase in household electricity access from 76% to 88%, the growth in rural areas has been even more substantial. Access in rural areas dramatically increased from 24% in 2017 to 65% in 2024.

    Notably, electricity access has also improved for the lowest economic segment, with 53% of households in the lowest quintile now having access, compared to only 9% in 2017.

    Findings, published in the Seventh Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV7) on April 16, 2025, show that 50% of households are now connected to the national grid, while 22% rely on standalone solar systems.

    Théophile Niyitegeka

    Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/afdb-approves-over-eur170-million-to-boost-rwanda-s-universal-energy-access