I am pleased to join you today, for the launch of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rwanda.
I would like to start by thanking the World Economic Forum, and Professor Klaus Schwab, for the long-standing partnership.
And Børge, thank you for joining us here today, in person. We have known each other with Børge, for quite some time now. Happy to see you in our country.
Over the years, the Forum has accompanied our country’s ambition to be a digital economy, aiming at inclusive and sustainable growth.
The launch of the Centre is happening at a critical time, and we must take full advantage of it.
In Rwanda, and all over the world, emerging technologies have driven innovations to contain the Covid pandemic, and mitigate its impact on livelihoods.
This has sped up changes that were already underway.
The way we live, work, and interact with each other will keep evolving, as technology does.
But data governance frameworks have not kept up with the fast pace of digital transformation.
I therefore commend the Centre for supporting the development of Rwanda’s Personal Data Protection and Privacy Law.
The policy will safeguard our citizens, while leveraging emerging technologies for the betterment of our communities.
Allow me to suggest three other ways, in which strong partnerships, such as this one, can accelerate digital transformation.
First, by stimulating entrepreneurship, through increased investment in the right skills and capacity.
Second, by helping to address the financing gaps that prevent Africa’s businesses from scaling up.
Lastly, by working to harmonize Africa’s data governance landscape, and thereby fast-tracking the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Some of these partnerships have already begun, and I thank all partners for their promising initiatives.
The launch of this Centre is enabled by investments that we, as a country, have been making in science and technology.
I hope the Centre will build on this, by making the Fourth Industrial Revolution an equalizing force, and contributing solutions to some of today’s most pressing challenges.
We are very happy to have the World Economic Forum as a partner in this crucial and other endeavours.
Here, I wish to thank you for you being here, and also for your kind attention.