Innovation to Change the Future: Hatching the Golden Eggs of Rwanda's Future

Rwanda is a country transforming and being reborn as an ICT-enabled nation. Emerging ICT entrepreneurs are expected to help develop the country and Africa as a whole, and a project is currently underway to make this aspiration a reality.

These startup businesses were founded with the aim of utilizing ICT to solve the social challenges facing the nation. The businesses present included a distribution service app for directly linking producers with consumers, an app for detecting and identifying the location of leaks in water service pipes, and a paperless system for sharing information among agricultural cooperatives. Members of the audience participated in a lively Q&A session, asking questions such as "who is your target market?" and "how did you come up with the idea for this business?"

"In this program I learned various skills for making my business sustainable, such as how to create a budget and business plan. I also came to see the importance of talking directly with the farmers who are my clients, and customizing products to match their needs."

"This project is not about us creating 250 companies, but rather about creating a place within the country with a framework for efficiently fostering business," explains Atsushi Yamanaka, the JICA expert overseeing the project. "We also wanted the graduation to be a chance to find collaborators from Rwanda and overseas. I was watching the audience listening to the presentations, and I'm sure many thought 'this will really make a good business,'" he added.

It is important for the Rwandan government, and the related agencies and private enterprises promoting ICT, to create a support framework for startup companies that is not fully reliant on JICA. Furthermore, we see this developing not just in Rwanda, but also taking root in other countries throughout Africa.

Developed an automated incubator, which can carry out monitoring of eggs and remote control operations using a smartphone and other devices. Company president Imani Bora (24) also works as a lecturer at IPRC Tumba. "Rwanda is reliant on imports for 80% of its chicken and eggs, so prices are high. When I became aware of this problem, I wondered if there was something that I could do about it, and so I developed this system."

The 1994 civil war in Rwanda had a major impact on the economy. But now, 25 years down the track, the country is growing so quickly it has become known as the "miracle of Africa." The roots of this spectacular recovery can be found in the ICT industry.

At the end of the 1990s, in the midst of an information technology (IT) bubble that was enveloping the world, the UN and developed countries provided support to developing countries to make the most of ICT. Rwanda saw ICT as an important key to develop the country, and committed to formulating and implementing four 5-year ICT strategic plans for the period between 2001 and 2020.

However, during the first period in the 2000s, the IT bubble burst and the support of the international community came to a standstill; consequently, many developing countries had to suspend ICT-driven development. "Rwanda, however, was different and stayed the course," explains Mr. Yamanaka.

"Rwanda, a geographically small country, had always been poor in natural resources; agricultural production was limited, and it had a strong desire to use ICT as one of the keys to develop the country. Without relying on the international community and using only its own funds, the country is one of only a handful that persevered in installing a fiber optic network and continuing with digital development using its own resources. As a result, Rwanda established itself in Africa as an ICT-oriented country.

It was during this time that Japan extended a helping hand. Japan had suspended ODA since the outbreak of the internal conflict, but in 2005, JICA reopened their Office in Rwanda, and from 2007 they started to provide assistance to develop the curriculum for the Integrated Polytechnic Regional College of Tumba (IPRC Tumba), an institution that trains ICT technicians and practitioners.

Mr. Yamanaka has worked as an expert in the country since 2010 and has been active in providing support for the development of the Rwandan ICT strategy, as well as in the training of personnel. He provided support for the development of the private-sector federation ICT Chamber, and the kLab and Fab Lab incubators that support the fostering of young entrepreneurs. Mr. Yamanaka also acted as a coordinator for the ABE Initiative ^[1] in which young people are brought to Japan to get their master's degrees at a Japanese university, or to participate in an internship program.

Note

Among the young people currently active in the Rwandan ICT industry, many have studied in Japan under the ABE Initiative.

At Kobe Institute of Computing (KIC), which accepts many Rwandan exchange students, the "Program for Fostering Young ICT Personnel Centered in Kigali" grassroots technical assistance program is being run in cooperation with Kobe City. Students are taught using the Tankyu method advocated by KIC President Toshiki Sumitani. With the Tankyu method, students investigate the needs of society and then independently draw up and implement solutions to meet such needs.

"Although I thought about staying and working in Japan, the desire to return to my country and share the skills that I had learned in Japan and do something to contribute to my country proved stronger," says Yves Cyuzuzo, who teaches the Tankyu method while working at the software development company WiredIn in Kigali.

"The desire to do something for their country is strong among Rwandans," Mr. Yamanaka adds. "There are many who returned to Rwanda after the end of the civil war, and I often hear them say things like 'We're creating the future of our country. Never again will we allow a tragedy such as genocide to happen. Rwanda is going to change!' They have such strong feelings, they set high goals and act on them."

Geographically, Rwanda is located almost at the center of the African continent, and many people speak both English and French. This is why Mr. Yamanaka expects ICT innovation culture to spread throughout the rest of Africa in the future.

"Many challenges remain throughout the African continent, and there are many fields where development through the use of ICT is necessary. All the more reason, therefore, for them to come to Rwanda to obtain the latest information and make connections. That's why we are working hard to make Rwanda the center of innovation in Africa."

Established in 2012, the "K" in the name comes from the first letter of the word "knowledge." This innovation center, which supports the fostering of young entrepreneurs, etc., has already started more than 250 businesses. It is also used as a place where entrepreneurs can exchange information and hold meetings or workshops.

A free space for learning about IT

Fab Lab was established in 2016 and takes the first three letters of its name from the word "fabrication." Now found throughout the world, the original concept for Fab Lab came from the 'spaces for creation' advocated by Neil Gershenfeld (a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor). With 3D printers, NC (numerical control) machines, laser cutters, and other machine tools, almost anything can be made.

A creative space to form ideas