Establishing innovation hubs and fostering tech education drives entrepreneurship by empowering individuals to create localized solutions to pressing challenges. This approach enables African nations to develop indigenous technologies in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, and education, decreasing their dependence on foreign innovations.
The Rwandan government, led by Prime Minister Dr. Edouard Ngirente, has inaugurated the construction phase of the Kigali Innovation City (KIC), a major initiative aimed at advancing technological innovation in Rwanda. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 10 in Kigali’s Special Economic Zone, Gasabo District.
Read more: Rwanda Launches Kigali Innovation City to Drive Technological Development
Rwanda on Tuesday broke ground for construction of the Kigali Innovation City, a project that promises to foster the nation's innovation and international investment.
Once complete, the 61-hectare smart city project located at Kigali Special Economic Zone, in the Gasabo district of Kigali, the Rwandan capital, will be worth more than 2 billion U.S. dollars and is expected to position Rwanda as a major producer of next-generation technology, according to officials.
Read more: Rwanda breaks ground for construction of smart city to drive innovation
More details about the Kigali Green City pilot project expected to be set up on some 600 hectares in the Kinyinya suburb of Gasabo district have emerged.
The features of this futuristic city were showcased at the September 6-8 Africa Smart City Investment Summit, held in Kigali. During the summit, Kigali was announced as Africa's premier smart city with promising smart city solutions according to the 2023 African Smart City Index.
Read more: RW: Fresh Details Emerge As Kigali Green City Project Takes Shape
Delivering a transformative tech community to Africa with the goal of delivering new skills and jobs that will impact positively and change lives is the premise on which, Africa50, the pan-African infrastructure investor and asset manager announced the signing of an Implementation Agreement (IA) with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the Government of Rwanda (GoR) for exclusive rights to develop, operate, and commercialise the 61-hectare Kigali Innovation City (KIC).
The new smart city advances Africa50’s strategy to develop and fund first-of-its-kind infrastructure assets that deliver high impact while generating attractive returns. The smart city is expected to stimulate $150 million in ICT exports annually and attract over $300 million in foreign direct investment.
The African Smart Cities Investment Summit in Kigali which had over one thousand delegates, over eighty speakers, twenty-five sessions and over forty-nine sessions brought to the fore the importance and the necessity for African Smart Cities. The speakers from their own varied perspectives stated and alluded to the fact that cities cannot be built the way cities used to be conceptualised, developed and built. Cities need to be attuned with the realities of the 21st century. A smart city uses technology and data-driven solutions to improve the quality of life for its residents, enhance sustainability and maximise urban services. It was also stated that second and third cities have to be developed and built as smart cities.
Read more: RW: Notes on the African Smart Cities Investment Summit in Kigali