During the press conference that the Head of Africa and Members of the Executive Committee of the forthcoming World Economic Forum to take place in Kigali, Ms Elsie Kanza said that choosing Rwanda as the host country was based on its ability of achieving significant economic growth despite the scarcity of its natural resources.
The WEF is scheduled to resume in Kigali from 11-13 May, 2016 and will be themed as ‘Connecting Africa’s Resources through Digital Transformation.’
The Forum bring together not less than 1200 people including investors, government officials, educators, religious leaders and media practitioners, among other dignitaries.
Kanza lauded the efforts that Rwanda made in its way towards economic transformation and called upon other nations to learn from Rwanda.
She thereafter asked Rwandan businesspeople to show how caring they are and provide hospitality to visitors as required.
For her, joint efforts of all parties invited in the forum will find adequate moment to discuss burning issues that threaten social and economic life of Rwandans particularly and Africans in general.
Elsie Kanza told media that the choice for Rwanda to host this WEF was due to its remarkable efforts to overcome most of its developmental challenges even though it’s natural resources ‘poor country.
For her, the burning thirst that Rwanda has to achieve economically should inspire the rest of its brother African countries.
Rwandan Minister of Finance and economic plan Amb Claver Gatete told reporter that all Rwandans who will attend the WEF Kigali will have a common goal of learning how effectively they can boost the economic growth of Rwanda.
Not only Rwandans will benefit but also other African countries will acquire more knowledge to strengthen their respective economies.
Min Claver Gatete underlined the fact that Rwanda has invested more in ICT as to achieve its social and economic targets.
He revealed that information technology contributes at 3% of the national production.
Meanwhile, Rwanda will be hosting an important gathering that will combine different academic institutions such as Carnegie Melon University, Next Einstein Forum, African Institute of Mathematics & Science, all of them making the ‘Kigali Innovation City’.
The first WEF in Africa took place in South Africa in 1990; the rest took place in Zimbabwe (1997), Namibia 1998, Mozambique 2004, Tanzania 2010, Ethiopia 2012, and Nigeria 2014, respectively.
UM– USEKE.RW
