Rwanda has scaled up the export of digital services and solutions to several countries, according to Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The minister said this during a session with members of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security on Tuesday, May 6. “Since 2018, several digital projects have been deployed to countries such as Eswatini, Chad, Guinea, and Kenya, with three more projects currently being prepared for Lesotho, Eswatini, and Chad during the 2023/2024 fiscal year,” Nduhungirehe told the Senators. He explained that since 2018, the government had signed 18 memoranda of understanding with foreign governments and hosted 7,662 visitors from 70 countries, including 260 delegations from West Africa, 238 from East Africa, 61 from Southern Africa and 55 from Central Africa, who came to learn from Rwanda’s experience. ALSO READ: UTAB welcomes Nigerian academic experts for knowledge exchange He noted that the government was exploring new ways to expand cooperation with other countries by continuing to export digital projects and working closely with the private sector to ensure Rwanda’s solutions have a real impact on citizens while remaining commercially viable under what is called economic diplomacy. He added that parliamentary diplomacy would also play a key role in these cooperation efforts with other countries. “The Rwanda Cooperation Initiative is an innovative approach in Africa, I believe not many countries have such a model. Apart from Singapore, you rarely find nations with structured programmres to share their achievements with others,” Nduhungirehe said. ALSO READ: How South-South Cooperation is solving developing countries' challenges Patricie Uwase, CEO of Rwanda Cooperation Initiative, said the government’s model of international cooperation was adapted from Singapore’s experience but tailored to fit the country’s unique context and partnerships. “When we were starting out, we learned from the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise. We then built what we believed was most suitable for Rwanda,” Uwase said. She emphasized that rather than treating the exchange of knowledge as a business, Rwanda has adopted a cost recovery model that ensures visiting delegations cover their own logistical expenses while receiving high-quality, immersive learning experiences from Rwanda’s top-performing institutions and experts. “We offer them an experience they wouldn’t easily find elsewhere, we do this free of charge because it aligns with our South-South Cooperation values,” she added. These visits, Uwase said, are meticulously organized, with site visits, expert presentations, and comprehensive hospitality. ALSO READ: Rwanda Cooperation Initiative marks UN Day for South-South Cooperation Uwase further explained that the government is exploring new ways to structure its offerings into clear packages that could generate revenue ethically while aligning with its foreign policy priorities. She added that Rwanda is already seeing the benefits of this approach through strong partnerships with countries like Colombia and Singapore. ALSO READ: How Rwanda exported digital projects to West Africa “We have gained a lot from the Singapore model, which has been in place since 2006. We continue to learn from them and apply that knowledge in our unique way,” she stated. Senator Cyprien Niyomugabo echoed the importance of Rwanda’s role as an exporter of not only digital services but also quality education. “We are pleased with how Rwanda delivers services to other countries,” said Niyomugabo. “Having worked in the education sector, I know very well how international students choose to come to Rwanda to study in our universities, where the education provided meets UNESCO standards. This results from the strong political will our country possesses.”
