As small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for more than 80 per cent of businesses and remain key drivers of economic growth, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) has challenged university students to develop innovative and sustainable business projects capable of creating jobs and driving economic transformation.

One of the key challenges the country faces in promoting entrepreneurship is a limited entrepreneurial culture, officials say.

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According to the policy brief Developing an Effective Entrepreneurship and MSME Ecosystem in Rwanda, many young people, particularly university graduates, lack an entrepreneurial mindset and tend to be highly risk-averse.

Etienne Turimumajyambere, an entrepreneurship specialist at MINICOM, said SMEs remain central to Rwanda’s development agenda and economic transformation strategy.

"SMEs will lead our economic transformation journey, so we need people with the right entrepreneurial mindset. This should start with university students’ projects,” he said.

Turimumajyambere urged students to shift from being job seekers to becoming job creators after graduation.

"At our age, we thought graduating meant finding a job created by someone else. Today, university graduates need to think about how they can become future job creators,” he said.

He encouraged students to develop practical entrepreneurial skills while still at university, including identifying viable business opportunities, conducting market research, and building sustainable enterprises.

"We are eager to support university students and ensure that their entrepreneurial mindset aligns with national priorities and our development agenda,” he added.

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Ddumba Arafat Yasser, Coordinator of Career and Advisory Services at Kigali Independent University (ULK), said the institution’s annual summer school equips students with practical entrepreneurship and management skills through simulation-based learning.

"One objective is to strengthen their entrepreneurial mindset through what we call the Micro Business Game,” he said. "It is a board simulation exercise that replicates the operations of a small business.”

He explained that students are trained in business registration, supplier and customer management, finance, and human resource management to prepare them for entrepreneurship.

Yasser said tracer surveys conducted among programme alumni show that several graduates have already launched successful businesses.

"This year marked the eighth edition of the summer school, and we already have several alumni running their own businesses,” he noted.

Students also present business ideas and prototypes during elevator pitch sessions, where they receive feedback and exposure to potential opportunities.

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To strengthen students’ transition into the labour market, Yasser said the university works closely with industry players through partnerships and internship programmes.

"We engage stakeholders who host our students so that we can better understand how to strengthen collaboration and improve outcomes,” he said.

Leon Maximilian, a student from the University of Applied Sciences in Kempten, Germany, described the summer school as an important platform for learning and cross-cultural exchange.

"Students learn a lot about building sustainable businesses that can create jobs for many people,” he said.

Leon noted that interactions among students from different countries offer valuable opportunities to exchange ideas and learn diverse approaches to entrepreneurship.

"There are participants from many countries, so you can learn how entrepreneurship is approached elsewhere and gain different perspectives,” he said.

He also called on universities and established companies to support young entrepreneurs through mentorship and practical guidance.

"It would be helpful if people from well-established companies could mentor young entrepreneurs because they understand the challenges of starting a business,” he said.

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Emmanuel Irumva, a university student, said he is developing a business project with the goal of creating his own job after graduation.

"I am also planning to pitch my project as a way of accessing different sources of funding,” he said.

According to the Rwanda Development Board’s Labour Market Trends Analysis Brief, 75 per cent of university graduates are employed, 14 per cent are unemployed, and 11 per cent are outside the labour force.

Jeanne d'Arc Umurerwa, Deputy Country Director of DSIK, said students’ entrepreneurial ideas should be promoted through initiatives such as the International Entrepreneurship Summer School.

Raymond Ndikumana, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Strategic Planning and Administration at the University of Rwanda, said the institution has introduced various mechanisms to transform students’ ideas and talents into sustainable businesses and innovations that contribute to national development.

He said one of the key approaches is enterprise development training, which equips students with skills to identify market opportunities, develop business ideas, and manage enterprises effectively.

Ndikumana noted that the university is also investing in incubation and innovation hubs to support students with innovative projects and startups.

The hubs provide workspace, mentorship, and technical support, enabling students to transform ideas into viable businesses. They also create opportunities for collaboration with experts, researchers, and industry players to develop solutions to real-world challenges.

He added that the university is facilitating access to seed funding to help promising projects move from concept to implementation.

"Many young people have brilliant ideas but lack the financial resources to get started. Through seed funding and partnerships, we are helping students test and scale their innovations,” he said.

Nelson Ijumba, Innovation and Research Programme Lead at Coventry University Africa Hub, stressed the importance of community-driven innovation.

"You must first identify a real need and design solutions around that need,” he said, recommending continuous engagement with communities and stronger collaboration with higher learning institutions.

He added that the university is strengthening partnerships with private sector institutions and development partners to expand internship opportunities, mentorship programmes, and market access for student-led enterprises.

According to Ijumba, these initiatives align with Rwanda’s broader vision of promoting youth entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusive economic growth.

Over the next five years, Rwanda aims to create 1.25 million jobs, equivalent to 250,000 jobs annually.