Rwandan President Paul Kagame used his remarks at the closing of the National YouthConnekt retreat to urge ICT leaders to avoid complacency as the country pushed forward with its technological revolution.
Kagame concluded the annual youth gathering, organised by the Ministry of Youth and ICT, by calling on leaders to serve the people with commitment.
“If at the end of this dialogue the general feeling is that we have been inspired, energized and convinced that we can achieve self-reliance and dignity, then we can safely say that this meeting has been a success,” he said. “We must be prepared to consolidate and protect our accomplishments because there are many people who would not like us to progress.”
The convention brought together young representatives from every sector to showcase their innovations, and recognised the country’s best startups and entrepreneurs.
Kagame said: “Knowing your destination is not enough to get you there, you must choose your path carefully, the future is bright but you need to shape your own future… the choice we make today determines our future in terms of success.”
He assured young people that the government was ready to empower them to realise their potential.
Minister of Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana said it was clear the youth were committed to contributing to national development.
Rwanda was recently ranked among six developing countries in the world that are most dynamic performers when it comes to ICT development, in the latest report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The country also has the second fastest broadband speed in Africa, with 6.46Mbps according to Speedtest.net, behind only Mauritania.
