Rwanda is calling for greater investment in artificial intelligence skills and capacity development as African countries seek to move from experimenting with AI to deploying solutions that can address challenges at scale.
Minister of ICT and Innovation Paula Ingabire said Africa’s ability to benefit from AI will depend not only on access to technology, but also on having the people and institutions capable of developing, adapting and deploying solutions that respond to local needs.
Speaking during a World Economic Forum Centre for AI Excellence session on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ingabire drew on Rwanda’s experience in building its technology ecosystem and urged a shift away from isolated AI pilots towards solutions that can be expanded across sectors and countries.
“We need to move from small-scale pilots to solutions that can scale and actually respond to the needs of our citizens,” Ingabire said.
Her remarks come as AI increasingly becomes part of discussions around economic transformation, public-service delivery and Africa’s digital development.
At the UN, governments are also debating how to ensure developing countries have meaningful access to AI infrastructure, data, skills and governance frameworks.
For Rwanda, skills development is already a central component of its national AI strategy.
The country’s National AI Policy identifies 21st-century skills and AI literacy as one of the key foundations for responsible AI adoption, alongside infrastructure, public-sector transformation, private-sector adoption and ethical safeguards.
The government’s approach is increasingly focused on turning AI from an emerging technology into a practical tool for sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, finance, education and public administration.
Rwanda is also advancing the establishment of a dedicated Rwanda Artificial Intelligence Agency, with responsibilities expected to include talent development, ecosystem growth, investment and the deployment of AI solutions at scale.
Ingabire’s message therefore places capacity at the centre of Africa’s AI ambitions: without a skilled workforce able to build and adapt AI locally, many African countries risk remaining consumers of technologies developed elsewhere rather than becoming active participants in the AI economy.
The push also aligns with wider international discussions about making AI development more inclusive.
The President of the 81st UN General Assembly has called for greater access to AI capacity, infrastructure, data and skills, while stressing that developing countries should have a voice in shaping how the technology evolves.
For Rwanda, the challenge ahead is increasingly about moving beyond proof-of-concept projects and building AI systems capable of operating reliably at national and regional scale—while ensuring that the benefits reach citizens and businesses across the continent.
