KAGAME: `Walk the talk’

“If connected, this large number will contribute to returns. As partners we have the opportunity to talk about good returns without having to be expensive, thereby inhibiting accessibility,” he said.

President Kagame said that by integrating ICT in the national strategy and planning, Rwanda had registered a big leap between 2003 and 2016, where connectivity grew by 30%. He said that there was a notable shift to investment that can touch people’s lives long term and will enable people to provide for themselves.

On the correlation between national education systems and digital development, President Kagame said national digital strategies must ensure that the education systems are streamlined to ensure that the skills produced are in line with the needs for digital development.

The impact of digitization and innovation in Africa is evident across sectors such as banking, health, agriculture, transport and trade.

In earlier engagements on Jan.17, the President gave special remarks at a workshop organised under the theme: “Innovations to Connect the Unconnected”.

The event was co-hosted by the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development and the World Economic Forum and moderated by Lauren Woodman,CEO of NetHope USA. Irina Georgieva Bokova, Director General, UNESCO and Zhao Houlin, Secretary General of the ITU also gave welcome remarks.

In his remarks, President Kagame pointed out that ICTs and digital connectivity has been proven to be an essential public utility and development tool and, not a luxury.

“Without fast and affordable internet access, there are few pathways from poverty to prosperity in the 21st century,” he said.

He said by 2020, Rwanda aims to have universal access to broadband and to embed ICTs into all aspects of public service delivery.

“Progress in Rwanda and other countries on the continent is possible with the right policies, investments and focus,” he said.

The workshop included four simultaneous breakout sessions on: financing ICT connectivity infrastructure; last mile technologies and innovative business models; country partnership models; and the gender digital divide, with the aim of achieving consensus on an action agenda to accelerate digital development in 2017.

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editor@independent.co.ug