Rwandan’s President Paul Kagame has urged the African Union (AU), regional blocs, and the Smart Africa Alliance to intensify efforts toward building a unified digital market that connects the continent’s people, economies, and innovations.
Speaking at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Kigali 2025, President Kagame said Africa is at a turning point — moving from limited connectivity to a mobile-driven economy that is reshaping every facet of daily life.
He noted that broadband access and smartphone penetration have brought transformation to commerce, education, finance, and governance, positioning Africa as a growing player in the global digital economy.
“In just a few years, Africa has gone from limited connectivity to a mobile-driven economy,” he said. “Broadband and smartphones have become part of everyday life, advancing commerce, education, and financial inclusion.”
Kagame highlighted mobile banking as a shining example of how homegrown innovation has changed lives across the continent, calling it “a global model of financial inclusion that empowers small business owners and rural communities alike.”
Despite the progress, the Rwandan leader warned that Africa still lags behind global connectivity averages, with millions of citizens yet to gain access to affordable internet and digital tools.
“If this gap persists, the same technology meant to expand access will instead widen inequality,” he cautioned. “The most important conversation we must have is about people — how to make digital skills and tools available to everyone.”
Kagame reaffirmed that Rwanda’s vision of a knowledge-based economy is rooted in artificial intelligence (AI), research, and human capital development, with a focus on improving productivity and service delivery. He said these investments are helping Rwanda lay the foundation for inclusive innovation.
The President stressed that for Africa to unlock its full digital potential, governments, the private sector, and partners must harmonise policies that encourage innovation and facilitate cross-border data and payment systems.
“This will enable our data and payment systems to flow securely across borders and connect our economies,” Kagame said. “The African Union, regional blocs, and Smart Africa are already advancing this vision through efforts to cut costs, reduce barriers, and create a single digital market.”
He said the creation of a single African digital market is vital to scaling African-made solutions globally while retaining their value at home, noting that digital integration will make Africa’s economies more resilient, competitive, and sustainable.
Kagame praised the Smart Africa Alliance — a pan-African initiative he helped champion — for driving forward regional collaboration on digital transformation. He called for renewed commitment from all stakeholders to ensure that policies keep pace with technological change and reflect Africa’s shared aspirations.
“Such cooperation will scale African solutions globally while retaining their value here,” he said. “The future we must build is an Africa that is bold, connected, and competitive.”
As MWC Kigali 2025 brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and innovators, Kagame’s remarks echoed a powerful message: that Africa’s digital future depends on unity, collaboration, and inclusion — not competition among its nations.
“Innovation does not belong to one part of the world alone,” Kagame concluded. “It can come from anyone, anywhere. Our task now is to create the conditions for that innovation to thrive — together.”
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