Rwanda is set to establish its first institution dedicated entirely to artificial intelligence (AI) after the Cabinet on June 8 approved the creation of a National Artificial Intelligence Agency.

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Minister of ICT and Innovation Paula Ingabire told The New Times that the decision reflects how quickly AI is becoming central to development and competitiveness.

"The decision to establish a dedicated National Artificial Intelligence Agency reflects how AI is becoming a foundational capability that will shape economic growth, public services, competitiveness, and the future of work,” she noted.

The country, she added, has spent years laying the foundation before moving to create a dedicated institution.

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Those preparations included the adoption of the National AI Policy in 2023, stronger data governance through the Data Privacy and Protection Law and the data sharing policy, investment in digital infrastructure and connectivity, as well as partnerships with learning institutions to build skills.

"That work has placed Rwanda among Africa’s leaders in AI readiness. But readiness is not the same as delivery,” she said.

Despite that progress, the minister admitted that AI work remains fragmented across different institutions and programmes.

"Today our AI efforts sit across several institutions, each doing important work, yet none holding a single mandate to drive AI transformation at national scale,” she observed

The agency is intended to become that coordinating institution.

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"Successful AI transformation requires a dedicated entity with the mandate, technical expertise, and operational agility to coordinate efforts across government, industry, academia, and international partners,” she said.

Ingabire said competition for AI infrastructure, investment and talent is accelerating globally, creating pressure for countries to move early.

"Globally, access to AI infrastructure, talent, deployment of the AI solutions and investment is becoming fiercely competitive, and the countries that move early will capture the productivity, the industries, and the high value jobs that follow.”

She also said Rwanda wants to ensure AI systems reflect local needs and realities.

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"We have a responsibility to future proof our country; to ensure AI is shaped around Rwandan realities and that Rwandans thrive, rather than adapt, in this new era.”

The agency’s mandate

The agency’s mandate will span government transformation, research, AI skilling, ethics and safety, industry growth, commercialisation and international engagement.

Ingabire described it as "Rwanda’s central engine for AI implementation and ecosystem development.”

Its work will include coordinating AI initiatives, strengthening access to AI ready data, supporting governance, investing in research and local talent, and helping build a stronger AI industry.

She said the institution is expected to address five major challenges currently limiting growth.

"It is designed to address five specific challenges in our ecosystem: accelerating implementation, limited access to AI-ready data, insufficient computing infrastructure, attracting the right talent in our ecosystem and catalyzing investment to build a strong AI industry here.”

For government institutions, the agency is expected to support identification of priority AI use cases and help move projects beyond experimentation.

For businesses and innovators, the agency will focus on creating conditions for AI development and commercialisation.

"For the private sector, it will strengthen the innovation ecosystem — supporting startups, researchers, and technology companies through partnerships, expertise, and potentially shared infrastructure — so that Rwandan firms can build and commercialise AI at scale.”

Ingabire said work has already been done to identify where AI can accelerate delivery of goals under NST2 and Vision 2050.

Ingabire said the National AI Agency is not intended to replace institutions already working on technology and innovation. Instead, it will build on existing foundations while taking on a dedicated implementation role.

She cited Rwanda’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) as an example.

"The proposed AI Agency is not replacing the C4IR initiative; rather, it builds on the foundation that C4IR has established,” she said, explaining that C4IR was created as a platform focused on policy innovation, stakeholder coordination, regulatory experimentation and governance of emerging technologies.

The AI Agency, by contrast, will focus more directly on implementation, infrastructure, talent development, ecosystem growth and scaling AI solutions.

"The proposed AI Agency has a broader and more operational mandate focused on implementation, commercialization, infrastructure, talent development, ecosystem growth, and deployment of AI solutions at scale,” she said.

What happens next?

Following approval, the ministry will oversee establishment of the agency.

"The focus is not simply on creating a new institution, but on ensuring that it can begin delivering value quickly by leveraging existing foundations, capabilities, partnerships, and ongoing initiatives already established through Rwanda C4IR and government institutions,” she explained.

A management team will be brought on board to operationalise the agency and begin implementation.