Innovation Digest for Rwanda

Impact stories, useful information, country data and more

Rwanda Development Board to Prioritise ICT and SMEs

The Rwanda Development Board was set up by bringing together all the government agencies responsible for the entire investor experience under one roof. This includes key agencies responsible for business registration, investment promotion, environmental clearances, privatisation and specialist agencies which support the priority sectors of ICT and tourism as well as small and medium enterprises and human capacity development in the private sector. Read More

Drones Deliver Vital Medicines to Remote Communities

A drone delivery service has slashed the delivery time of life-saving medicine to remote regions of Rwanda from four hours to an average of half an hour. A partnership between Zipline, a Silicon Valley robotics company, and the country’s health ministry has delivered more than 5,500 units of blood over the past year, often in life-saving situations. Read More

How Rwanda’s Health System Has Been Transformed

The success of the recovery of Rwanda’s health system following the 1994 genocide was driven largely by the government’s aim to make health accessible to all, regardless of income, ethnicity or location. The campaign was spearheaded by a nationwide health insurance programme, training for outreach community health workers to reach the most rural communities, and the construction of rural health posts to expand access to medicines and health services. Read More

Rwanda Becomes First African Country to Implement e-Procurement System

Rwanda has become the first country in the region to roll out an electronic procurement system in an effort to reduce corruption and improve transparency and efficiency. The web-based system, known as UMUCYO, was rolled out last July as part of a World Bank public sector reform programme. The system consists of an online portal with modules for advertisement, e-bidding, framework agreements, and much more. Read More