Rwanda needs to do more to connect its growing youth population to economic opportunities, officials said on Thursday, September 17, during World Population Day celebrations in Nyagatare District.

Officials identified limited access to economic opportunities, unemployment, teenage pregnancy and drug abuse among the challenges facing the youth.

People aged 16 to 30 account for 27.1% of Rwanda’s population, or about 3.6 million people, according to the 2022 Population and Housing Census.

Dr Olugbemiga Adelakin, UNFPA Country Representative, said Rwanda needs to do more to help young people turn their potential into economic opportunities, including through entrepreneurship.

"Apart from keeping young people in school, making sure that they have the right sexuality education, we also need to facilitate youth entrepreneurship. Most of the times, youth end up in the lower socio-economic cadre.” Adelakin said.

Adelakin reaffirmed UNFPA commitment to support Rwanda's NST2 agenda and the vision 2050, putting youth at the center of their programmes.

Speaking with The New Times about access to finance among the youths,

Amon Muberuka, a young entrepreneur in Tabagwe Sector, said banks should consider the stage of a business when assessing young entrepreneurs for loans.

Muberuka produces animal feed using black soldier flies and collects organic waste from schools across Nyagatare District.

His business has a contract to supply 5.3 tonnes of animal feed every month to a fishing cooperative. But he currently produces only 350 kilogrammes.

"The cooperative we work with has nine fish ponds. They ask us to supply them with 5.3 tonnes every month, but we are able to supply only 350kg,” Muberuka said.

He said access to more finance would help him increase production.

"It is not that it is difficult for us. When we start looking for loans from banks, it becomes difficult, even though we have collateral,” he said.

Muberuka said many young entrepreneurs first use their own savings to develop and test their products before looking for financing to fulfil contracts.

"Most of us use savings to develop our projects from incubation. Many of us take our projects to the market, where a client tests the product and then gives you a contract. The next step is to implement the delivery and scale up production according to the contract,” he said.

The government said it is working to connect young people with funding opportunities.

Ishungure Parfait, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Arts Development, said the YouthConnekt Awards is one of the initiatives that identify young people with business ideas and connect them to available funding opportunities.

"We have been in the YouthConnekt Awards programme for days, travelling around the country to identify young people with projects or ideas that can generate businesses and connect them with opportunities for funding,” Ishungure said.

He urged young people to think beyond small projects and develop businesses that can benefit society while taking advantage of opportunities available to them.

The ministry is also working to expand opportunities in the creative industry. Ishungure noted that a ministerial order on how artists can get royalties from their works was issued the previous week and institutions were working on its implementation.

Another initiative is the Aguka Fund that was designed to provide financial opportunities to young entrepreneurs to scale up and to continue to provide economic support to themselves and to their peers.

Parents urged to support youth ideas

Eastern Province Executive Secretary Dr Jeanne Nyirahabimana said young people have ideas and the energy to work but need support to turn them into action.

"We have capable young people, we have young people with ideas and the energy to work. What we are required to do as parents and as leaders is to help them and support them so that those ideas can be put into action,” she said.

The youth were reminded to uphold values and protect their lives from harm, drug abuse and teen pregnancies to achieve their mission as future responsible citizens, and their ability to contribute to the economy.