EDITORIAL: Determination is the key to Rwanda’s resilience

This week’s release of the Doing Business report was again a poignant pointer that the government’s investment into creating a conducive business environment was gaining due recognition. The report again put Rwanda among the best investment destinations on the continent and for the first time entered the best 50 categories worldwide and second in Africa, closely coming on the heels of Mauritius.

Friday, November 03, 2017

This week’s release of the Doing Business report was again a poignant pointer that the government’s investment into creating a conducive business environment was gaining due recognition.

The report again put Rwanda among the best investment destinations on the continent and for the first time entered the best 50 categories worldwide and second in Africa, closely coming on the heels of Mauritius.

The consistent good showing is not an act of providence but the result of well-thought out policies of how to better manage its meager resources in a sustainable manner. It goes without saying that the results have been the envy of many a country that did not pass through what Rwanda did.

In fact, there has been a continuous procession of foreign delegations that come to Rwanda on study tours on how to turn round their countries – especially from this continent – and it has been more than ready to share its experiences and best practices.

It is not every day that a country rises from the ashes with its head held up high; uniquely spurred by the unwavering spirit of improving the lots of its people and, at the same time, do so independently despite many batons thrown in its wheels.

This country has learnt the true meaning of resilience despite the bitter trajectory it was thrown in. It has learnt that it can only depend on its people’s resolve, rising up as one and going the full mile.

It was not an act of accident that President Kagame was requested by his peers to lead the reformation of the African Union, it was a vote of confidence that the Rwandan model could be successfully duplicated elsewhere without resorting to neo-colonial templates.

The journey ahead is still marred by many obstacles, but at the end of the day, it is determination that really wins the day.