Rwanda’s tech minister outlines five steps for East Africa to accelerate AI development

Kigali, Rwanda, March 30, 2026 - Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, has called on member states of the East African Community (EAC) to adopt a coordinated approach to advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the region. Speaking at a regional conference in Kigali, she outlined five key priorities: establishing AI governance laws, creating a regional research and innovation center, developing shared data infrastructure, harmonizing regulations, and investing in large-scale skills training. Ingabire emphasized that AI could significantly boost economic growth, citing projections that the technology could contribute up to $1 trillion to Africa’s GDP by 2035. She also highlighted the need to increase African language content online, noting that less than 3% of global internet content is currently available in African languages. Officials say the initiative aims to position East Africa as a competitive player in the global digital economy while ensuring inclusive access to emerging technologies.