7 years in ICT: President Paul Kagame won the free header goal

President Paul Kagame built a winning mentality among Rwadans(Photo: Kagame flickr)

In football: Free Header Goal: is a goal that was won by using a head.

Twenty three years, after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda made a remarkable journey that seemed like an insurmountable task.

Through hardships, in Rwanda now, we use tap and go cards to take taxi, Babyl to get online doctor consultation and so on.

In 2010 after his re-election, President Paul Kagame’s objective was to make Rwanda, the African Silicon Valley. And to speed Rwanda’s transition from an agriculture-based economy to a services-oriented and help build up a middle class and a new generation of tech-savvy Rwandans who value national identity over ethnicity.

Rwanda invested in science, technology and innovation as a springboard to grow and diversify its economy that resulted into technology business that contributes 3% of the country’s GDP.

 In Seven years:

*Investment in ICT mounted to US $ 164 million in 2016 from US $ 1 million in 2010

*Rwanda introduced a speedy 4G internet and set Fiber-optic cables around the country.

*Internet users rose to 36.6% in 2016 from 7% in 2011

*ICT investment companies in 2011 were 35; 50 companies in 2012; 58 companies in 2014; 62 companies in 2015 and 68 companies in 2016.

*Government of Rwanda introduced Irembo website that delivers 56 online services in order to downsize hand to hand delivered services.

* Mobile phone penetration rose to 79.2% in 2016 from 33.4% in 2010.

*Mobile money transactions rose to Rwf 10 billion in 2016 from Rwf 510 million in 2010 

Seven years in office since 2010, under President Paul Kagame, Rwanda became the African technology hub where innovation and Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) represent a way for developing world nations to foster economic development.

Without spirit to love the nation and hardworking value that were implanted in Rwandans by President Paul Kagame, the achievements above were difficult to achieve but we did. 

As Rwanda is nearing Presidential election in August 3 and 4, to vote well, is to vote Paul Kagame to keep moving forward.