Young Rwandans will now have a one-stop platform connecting them to training, jobs, and entrepreneurship opportunities thanks to Ingazi Platform, a government initiative launched in partnership with UNICEF. ALSO READ: $6.5m project launched to boost youth employment The platform, developed in partnership with UNICEF Rwanda and key government institutions, aims to close the gap between education and the labour market. It offers both technical and soft skills training while linking users directly to job openings, internships, and mentorship opportunities. During a panel discussion held at the stakeholders' luncheon on Tuesday, October 21, François Ngoboka, Chief Skills Officer at the Ministry of Public Service and Labour, explained that Ingazi was born out of a simple question: why are graduates struggling to find jobs despite their qualifications? “Employers kept saying young people were not ready for work,” Ngoboka said. “Ingazi helps them gain the extra skills they need, from communication and interview techniques to understanding workplace culture so they can easily transition into employment.” ALSO READ: Govt, ILO sign MoU to boost digital youth employment He added that Ingazi also integrates job listings, career guidance, and digital courses from global and local partners, making it a comprehensive resource for youth skilling in Rwanda. The platform targets digitally literate youth but also reaches those still building tech skills through youth centers equipped with computers and internet access. Content includes sign language interpretation for accessibility. Since its May launch, organizers have focused on understanding what young people actually need rather than imposing pre-determined solutions. Registration has reached around 5,000 users, with plans to track outcomes over the coming months. “We haven’t reached there yet,” Ngoboka acknowledged about measuring impact. “The next stage is to see what happens to young people three months, six months, one year after.” ALSO READ: Innovative tool launched to track youth employment Christine Nkulikiyinka, the Minister of Public Service and Labour, called Ingazi “Rwanda’s digital highway for opportunity” and urged private sector partners to channel corporate social responsibility budgets toward the platform. “It is your talent pipeline,” she told business leaders at Tuesday’s event. The platform emerged from global UNICEF partnerships with corporations like Microsoft and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) but was customized for Rwanda’s context. “It is not a copy-paste solution; it is a homegrown platform, born from co-creation with young people,” said Lieke van de Wiel, UNICEF Representative in Rwanda. UNICEF’s Thomas Kaye, Senior Advisor for Global Solutions at Generation Unlimited, said the platform reflects a broader global effort to use technology to break barriers in youth employment. “With the right skills, a young person in Rwanda can work for a company anywhere in the world,” he noted. “That’s the power of Ingazi, it connects talent to opportunity.” Yves Iradukunda, Minister of State in the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, underscored the need to keep Ingazi scalable and relevant to the private sector. “This platform must serve the private sector because sustainability depends on it,” he said. “We’re building young people who don’t just learn coding, but who can think critically and use technology to solve real problems in health, agriculture, and beyond.” The government aims to train one million young coders as part of its broader national development strategy, with Ingazi serving as a central coordination point across various youth empowerment programmes.
