Rwanda continues to make strides in its digital transformation journey, harnessing innovative solutions to enhance service delivery and economic growth. The country has demonstrated a strong commitment to foundational Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), from Irembo—a platform streamlining access to government services—to the widespread adoption of mobile money and digital solutions in finance, agriculture, and healthcare. Building on this momentum, Co-Develop and Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR) are partnering with Rwanda Information Society (RISA) to accelerate the development of Rwanda’s DPI ecosystem. The investment will focus on three priority use cases: Strengthening the national digital agriculture value chain to enhance efficiency and market access. Developing credit market infrastructure to improve financial access and economic participation. Enabling mobile number and wallet portability to foster competition and consumer choice. The Ministry of ICT and Innovation, through RISA, is committed to ensuring that these initiatives align with Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST 2) and contribute to the country’s long-term vision for a digitally enabled economy by enhancing efficiency, competition, and financial inclusion across key sectors positioning Rwanda as a leader in DPI adoption and innovation. As the Lead implementor, RISA will oversee the development, deployment and integration of these DPI solutions within the existing Rwanda digital ecosystem. Beyond implementation, RISA will: Embed these solutions within national policies to ensure sustainability and scalability. Facilitate partnerships with the private sector to expand access to DPI-based services. Ensure Rwanda remains a regional hub for DPI innovation, serving as a model for other African nations. “This partnership marks a transformative milestone in Rwanda’s digital journey,” said Innocent Muhizi, CEO of RISA. “Through enhanced interoperability across payment systems, e-government services, credit infrastructure, and agriculture, we are building the foundation for a robust digital economy. These initiatives will not only foster financial inclusion but also drive innovation and economic empowerment, ensuring that every Rwandan benefits from the advancements in digital public infrastructure.” AFR, a Rwandan not-for-profit company dedicated to promoting financial inclusion and sector development, will spearhead the implementation of these initiatives by coordinating stakeholders, overseeing execution, and allocating sub-grants as necessary to drive progress. Jean Bosco Iyacu, CEO of AFR, emphasized the transformative potential of the partnership: “We are excited to collaborate with Co-Develop on projects that align with our core mission of improving livelihoods. These initiatives will enhance financial inclusion, unlock the agriculture sector's potential, and expand access to credit. We remain committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure mutual success”. “This investment represents a significant step towards a more inclusive and digitally empowered Rwanda,” said Robert Karanja, Senior Director at Co-Develop. “By supporting these key initiatives, we are fostering economic growth, strengthening the agricultural sector, and enabling greater financial access. AFR’s deep local expertise ensures these efforts will be both impactful and sustainable.” _ About AFR Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR) is a Rwandan not-for-profit Company, established in 2010 to promote financial inclusion and sector development in Rwanda. AFR supports the removal of systemic barriers that hinder access to and usage of financial services by low-income people, particularly the unserved and underserved segments of the population including young people, women, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), refugees and the informal sector. _ About Co-Develop Co-Develop is a global, nonprofit fund accelerating the adoption of safe and inclusive shared digital public infrastructure (DPI) at scale. Answering the call to promote the deployment of DPI in 50 countries building DPI in the next five years, Co-Develop makes strategic investments to: Unlock bottlenecks in safe and inclusive DPI adoption by countries Build an evidence base to understand the impact of DPI We operate on the ethos that, together with like-minded partners, we must “co-develop” the foundations for a fairer future. _ About RISA The Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) is a government agency under the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, established in 2017 as a public institution governed by Presidential Order N° 077/01 of 09/12/2022.RISA’s mission is to digitize Rwanda’s society through the increased adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and innovation, positioning ICT as a cross-cutting enabler for economic and social transformation. RISA plays a central role in advancing Rwanda’s digital and socio-economic transformation by developing, coordinating, and managing foundational DPI, ensuring secure and interoperable government systems, and fostering innovation.
