KIGALI - THE Chief Technology Officer at Stanford University, Hong Suk Kim, has commended the rate at which ICT programmes are moving, saying that within ten years, Rwanda will become the number one ICT exporter if the trend is maintained.

He made the remarks yesterday during a conference organized by the Ministry of ICT, which was held under the theme; "Harnessing the potential of mobile applications and contents.”

Speaking to stakeholders, particularly from RDB, RECO and ICT sector, Hong Suk Kim said that mobile wireless broadband services and the national fibre optic network grid will fuel rapid economic development of the country.

"Human capital development in Rwanda will be empowered with a significant measure that has never been seen anywhere in African history,” he said.

Hong Suk Kim also called for the establishment of an education system that leverages all ICT innovations which are rapidly becoming available in the country to ensure that the sector sustains itself in the future.

"Only with such ICT innovation-based education system, will we be able to meet the growing needs of ICT industry and mobilize skilled workforce at secondary education level for the new kinds of ICT jobs,” he added.

The ICT Minister, Ignace Gatare, said that the transformation mainly championed by mobile telephone evolution like e-Soko and e-Health, was a positive change in reducing the transaction costs of doing business, especially for low income earners.

"While the success story was mainly driven by the voice market, mobile broadband services penetration is still generally limited in Africa. However, we are witnessing conjugated efforts from both the government and the private sector in rolling out broadband infrastructure is expected to boost access to mobile broadband services,” Gatare said.

The Minister added that the government was putting in place appropriate business-friendly policies and strategies essential to Direct Foreign Investment in the ICT sector.

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