The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
120 targeted specialist graduates were employed within a year of graduating and 100 sustainable digital businesses have been created
ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | On May 21, the African Development Bank Group’s Board of Directors approved the mid-term review of the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) for Rwanda (2022-2026) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The review highlighted significant progress in the first half of the strategy’s implementation period.
Initiated in November 2021, the CSP was set with dual priorities: enhancing physical infrastructure to boost productive resources and reduce business costs, and cultivating skills and financial capacity to strengthen the private sector and stimulate productivity-driven growth.
So far, significant strides have been made in the infrastructure sector, with 66% of transport targets met, notably reducing travel times from over three hours to under one, thereby improving market access, commercial opportunities, and reducing business costs.
The energy sector has achieved 50% of its goals, with national electricity access climbing from 40.5% in 2017 to nearly 75% by December 2023. This growth has extended electricity to an additional 375,543 households and 2,306 schools, healthcare facilities, small businesses, and government offices through both grid and off-grid connections, markedly enhancing their operational capabilities.
Water access has also seen substantial improvement, with connections for 1.5 million additional people enhancing their quality of life.
In the domain of skill development and financial capacity, all target indicators have been met. Notably, 120 specialist graduates have secured employment within a year of graduation, and 100 sustainable digital enterprises have been launched by young entrepreneurs, significantly boosting the income of the involved populations.
The review also introduced new priority studies to forecast key growth drivers up to 2035 and to delineate top investment strategies for the formulation of Rwanda’s second national transformation strategy for 2024-2029. These studies have deepened discussions on growth, private sector development, and the crafting of national industrial policies.
“These results are a solid foundation for the next phase of the CSP,” stated Aïssa Touré-Sarr, African Development Bank Country Manager in Rwanda. “While challenges remain, our continued focus will be on enhancing Rwanda’s productive capacity, unlocking private sector potential, and accelerating structural transformation.”
As of April 30, 2024, the Bank Group’s active portfolio in Rwanda included 22 operations valued at $1.72 billion.
