Rwanda is seeking Russian investment to produce fertilisers locally, develop its mineral resources and expand nuclear technology, healthcare and education, as it works to reduce reliance on imports and strengthen its productive capacity, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe has said.

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Nduhungirehe said Rwanda wanted to turn its longstanding relations with Russia into practical economic cooperation that supports industrialisation, strengthens energy security and develops local skills.

In an interview with RT International on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, published on Thursday, October 29, the minister said investment was essential to helping Rwanda produce more of what it needs instead of depending on supplies from abroad.

"Rwanda, of course, is trying to ensure that we have in our country enough production of what we need, inputs we need in our agriculture,” he said.

Nduhungirehe said Russian companies could help establish domestic production of fertilisers and other agricultural inputs, reducing the country’s vulnerability to external shocks.

The urgency has increased amid disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East, which has affected energy prices and supply chains.

Nduhungirehe said Rwanda had increased pump prices for petroleum products that affected other areas of the economy.

He called for a political settlement to the conflict, warning that continued instability would put further pressure on developing economies still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and other economic hardships.

"We believe that it&039;s time to be responsible for all of us, especially the big powers to be responsible and first stop the suffering of the people on the ground, but also enable the global economy to continue growing,” he said.

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Beyond agriculture, the minister identified mining as another area offering opportunities for Russian investors, noting that Rwanda was rich in mineral resources and that Russian investors were already operating in the sector.

He said the broader objective was to build an economy that could process its resources and produce more goods locally, rather than continually exporting raw materials and importing finished products.

Nuclear technology, healthcare and education

Nuclear science and technology are another priority in Rwanda’s cooperation with Russia, particularly as the country seeks to diversify its energy mix and develop advanced healthcare and research capabilities.

Nduhungirehe recalled that Rwanda and Russia signed an agreement in 2019 to establish a centre for nuclear science and technology in Rwanda following the first Russia-Africa Summit. The centre is under construction and is expected to support applications in industry, agriculture, research and healthcare.

"Energy security involves nuclear energy,” he said, explaining why cooperation with Russia was important to Rwanda’s industrialisation ambitions.

He added that Russia’s experience in nuclear technology would be valuable as the two countries worked to develop the centre and explore the potential of small modular reactors (SMRs).

"As Russia is well advanced in this technology, it's important that we collaborate to ensure that this centre, and including also the SMR, are really beneficial to our industrialisation and our different sectors in general,” he said.

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Education and healthcare are also important areas of cooperation. Nduhungirehe said Rwanda depended on the skills of its people to drive development and welcomed Russia’s support in training Rwandan students.

Russia has awarded scholarships to 59 Rwandan students for the 2026/2027 academic year, he said, adding that Kigali had requested an additional 100 scholarships and that Moscow was willing to provide more.

He said cooperation in healthcare also included capacity building to train medical practitioners and strengthen Rwanda’s health services.

'We don't choose between partners'

Nduhungirehe said Rwanda intended to pursue these economic priorities without allowing geopolitical tensions to dictate its international partnerships.

Asked whether Western sanctions against Russia could obstruct cooperation, he acknowledged that the restrictions had created challenges, including those affecting travel, but said Rwanda would not allow itself to be drawn into divisions between major powers.

"We, as Africans, we refuse to get trapped into that,” he said.

"We don't want to choose between our partners. We have good relations and partnership with the Russian Federation. We have good relations with the European Union, with the US, with China, and other major powers.”

The minister said Rwanda advocated lifting the sanctions, arguing that they had not helped resolve the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

He said the priority should instead be to address conflicts politically, while allowing countries to pursue trade and investment according to their development needs.

"For us, as far as Africans are concerned, it's important to ensure that we are free, we are able to do business, to trade with our partners without hindrance,” he said.

"What we need is development for our peoples, development for our economies, without being dragged into a conflict or, I would say, international tensions that are not ours.”

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Nduhungirehe said Rwanda had faced pressure in the past over its cooperation with Russia and China.

"We have been very clear with our partners that Rwanda wants to collaborate with all our partners without exception. We don't choose between partners,” he said.

He also rejected negative perceptions of Russia as a reason to avoid engagement, pointing to the country's economic standing and international role.

"We said that Russia is a big power. First of all, it's a big economy. It's a permanent member of the UN Security Council. We don't believe in pointing fingers. We believe in finding solutions to the problems we have,” he said.

Africa must move beyond development aid

Nduhungirehe’s case for greater Russian investment in Rwanda forms part of a broader argument that African countries must move beyond long-term dependence on development aid and build economies that produce, process and trade more goods.

"We have the youngest population. 1.4 billion people, but a median age of around 18, 19 years. We have natural resources, we have arable land across the continent,” he said.

He also cited the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), signed in 2018, as an opportunity to deepen economic integration and expand trade among African countries.

However, he said the continent needed to translate its advantages into industrial development and a greater share of global trade.

"African countries have been living under development aid for too long, I believe, because at the end we need to graduate from that aid,” he said.

"To do that, we need to invest in our industries to add value to our raw materials instead of continuously selling raw materials that will come as finished products on our continent.”

He said the Russia-Africa Summit provided an opportunity to discuss practical ways of expanding trade and investment between Russia and African countries.

Nduhungirehe said Africa accounted for only 15 per cent of global trade, a share he described as unacceptable given the continent’s potential.

He argued that greater industrialisation and trade among African countries would help them become more competitive internationally, rather than remain suppliers of raw materials and consumers of imported finished goods.

Partnerships based on mutual respect

The minister said African countries should have greater control over their economic choices and build international relationships based on mutual respect, rather than arrangements in which external partners dictate development priorities.

He criticised "conditionalities" often attached to development cooperation, arguing that assistance should not be suspended simply because a partner disagrees with how a country is governed.

"If I don't like how you run your country, then they have to suspend or stop the development cooperation. This is unacceptable,” he said.

He maintained that African countries should be free to work with different partners while determining their own development paths.

"We should, as African countries, have engaged into relations with other countries based on mutual respect and shared benefits.” the minister said.