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UNDERSTANDING RWANDA'S SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND
INNOVATION LANDSCAPE IN YOUTH EMPLOYMENT CREATION
AfricanAfricanTechnology
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Nicholas Ozor
Alfred Nyambane

UNDERSTANDING RWANDA’S
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND
INNOVATION LANDSCAPE IN YOUTHEMPLOYMENT CREATION

Nicholas Ozor
Alfred Nyambane

African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS)AFR IC

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The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) isa transdisciplinary network of researchers, policymakers,
private sector actors and the civil society promoting thegeneration, dissemination, use and mastery of Science,
Technology and Innovations (STI) for African development,
environmental sustainability and global inclusion. In
collaboration with like-minded institutions, ATPS provides
platforms for regional and international research andknowledge sharing in order to build Africa’s capabilities in
STI policy research, policymaking and implementation forsustainable development.

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Published by the African Technology
Policy Studies Network (ATPS)
P. O. Box 10081, 00100- GPO,
Nairobi, Kenya©2024
ISBN: 978-9966-124-69-2

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

Table of Contents
About the Project ......................................................................... iv
About Africa Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS).............. v
Acknowledgement........................................................................ vi
Key Messages............................................................................... vii
1. Introduction ............................................................................ 1
2. Rationale for STI application in Youth Employment ................ 2
3. Methodology .......................................................................... 3
4. Major Findings......................................................................... 5
4.1 STI Policies and Programmes for Youth Employment in 		
Rwanda............................................................................. 5
4.2 STI Institutional Framework for Youth Employment in
Rwanda.............................................................................. 7
4.3 Challenges and Opportunities for Youth Employment in
Rwanda ............................................................................. 10
4.4 Best Practices and Impacts for Youth Employment in		 Rwanda.............................................................................. 13
Conclusion......................................................................... 23
6. Policy Recommendations........................................................ 24
References............................................................................... 26
ATPS TechnoPolicy Briefs Series............................................... 28

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creationiii

About the ProjectThis project was launched amid Africa’s burgeoning youth population,offering immense potential for productivity and inclusive economic
growth. However, a significant portion of this demographic faces
unemployment challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,
necessitating sustainable solutions through effective policy
interventions and institutional strengthening. Focusing on Ethiopia,
Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, theinitiative reviews Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) policies
to understand the current landscape, identify successes and failures,and provide evidence-based insights for decision-making in criticalsectors for youth employment and wealth creation. Aligned with
continental strategies such as the Agenda 2063 and initiatives suchas the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works Strategy andthe Afreximbank’s campaign for young people’s participation in theimplementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)and youth mainstreaming in policy engagements and cross-regional
dialogues among others, the project aims to inform policymaking
and foster stronger linkages among stakeholders to address youth
unemployment, skills development, and entrepreneurship. Throughrigorous research and stakeholder engagements, the project iscatalyzing evidence-based policy discussions and contributing to
the formulation of effective strategies for job creation and youth
empowerment across Africa.

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Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

About Africa Technology Policy Studies
Network (ATPS)
The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) is atransdisciplinary network of researchers, policymakers, private sector
actors and civil society promoting the generation, dissemination,
use and mastery of STI for African development, environmental
sustainability and global inclusion. ATPS has over 5,000
members and 3,000 stakeholders in over 54 countries in 5
continents with institutional partnerships worldwide. We
implement our programs through members in national chaptersestablished in 30 countries (27 in Africa and 3 Diaspora chapters inAustralia, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom). In
collaboration with like-minded institutions, ATPS provides
platforms for regional and international research and knowledge
sharing in order to build Africa’s capabilities in STI policy
research, policymaking and implementation for sustainable
development.

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creationv

Acknowledgement
The African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) takes
this special opportunity to thank the Mastercard Foundation,
Afreximbank, and other national partners for partnering with us andsupporting this study. The ATPS and partners also wish to appreciate
all the respondents led by the ATPS National Chapter Coordinator for
Rwanda for their contributions to this study.

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Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

Key Messages• The government of Rwanda has prioritised Information
Communication Technology (ICT), and Science, Technology, andInnovation (STI) to be the essential drivers to attain the development
goals in the priority areas such as high-value and competitive
jobs for the youth and critical sectors, modern infrastructuredevelopment, productive livelihood, and positive contribution tointernational peace.
• Like other countries in Africa, Rwanda faces major youth
unemployment challenges in an economy largely dominatedby the informal sector. This has triggered responses from thegovernment in the last two decades where it embarked on
structural transformation by implementing policies and establishinginstitutions geared towards economic diversification.
• The Education sector and STI policy reforms in Rwanda havetargeted youth skilling to match the needs of the labour market aswell as encourage young women to enrol in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This has contributed to more
women being empowered and appointed to prominent positions,especially in government. However, the educational level in the
country still remains very low and that presents a major challenge
in the economy as the youth are unable to match the skills requiredin the highly diversifying and increasingly complex economy.
• The STI policies and institutions have led to the launch andimplementation of many programmes that have yielded mixed
results in terms of developing skills, creating jobs for the youth
and encouraging entrepreneurship. Many have been successful
while others have provided various lessons and displayed gaps thatdifferent stakeholders in the ecosystem may consider addressing.

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creationvii

viii Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

1. Introduction
Rwanda’s youth unemployment rate increased by 6.5 percentage
points from 17% in February 2021 to 23.5% in May 20211. The
unemployment rate remained relatively higher among women(26.7%) as compared to men (19.9%). The private sector has registeredsubstantial growth over the last six years. Private investments’contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) doubled from 5.8%
in 2006 to 11.6% in 2020 (Government of Rwanda [GoR], 2021a).
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) still dominate Rwanda’s
private sector. The informal sector in Rwanda accounts for 89.5% of
total employment, and it is estimated that youth and women makeup a significant portion of this workforce. According to the 2019
Labour Force Survey, 21% of youth in Rwanda are unemployed, butof those who are employed, 60% are working in the informal sector(National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda [NISR], 2019). The informal
sector contributes over 60% of Rwanda’s GDP thereby underlining its
importance. Rwanda has the ambition to leverage the transformative
potential of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) to position
itself as a globally competitive knowledge-based economy.
The impact of STI policies on youth employment in Rwanda has beensignificant both in the formal and informal sectors. The growth ofthe digital economy has created new opportunities for young peoplein Rwanda, with the ICT sector growing at an annual rate of 17%,
according to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) (Akamanzi,2019). This strategic orientation is founded on the premise thatknowledge is essential to addressing socioeconomic challenges,
is a key driver of growth competitiveness, and is indispensable inachieving a high quality of living. Despite Rwanda making significant
strides in promoting STI policies aimed at creating job opportunities
for its youth population, the youth unemployment challenges still
persist. This policy brief highlights some of the key STI policies andprogrammes, their impacts, challenges and possible opportunities
for youth employment through skills development, technologicalinnovation, and entrepreneurship in Rwanda.
1 https://www.statistics.gov.rw/publication/trends-labour-market-performance-indicator-rwandamay-2021

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

12. Rationale for STI Application for
Youth Employment
Rwanda faces similar socioeconomic and developmental challenges
common to other developing countries. It still faces low formal
wage employment, a small domestic market, a developing humancapital base, and nascent financial markets. However, the country
embarked on structural transformation in the last 20 years and theeconomic structure needs diversification. Rwanda was ranked 1st
in EAC and 5th in Africa for Information Technology (IT) readiness
infrastructure with 95% 4th Generation Long Term Evolution (4G LTE)
network coverage and 7,000km fibre domestically. This makes it ideal
for STI development and diversification of economic activities. The
education sector is often blamed for not supplying the appropriate
skills to meet labour market demand. High unemployment is often
assigned to skills mismatches or deficits. Rwanda has ratified mostregional economic integration and cooperation protocols andagreements, and this regional integration offers it a larger market,
trade facilitation, knowledge, skills and technology transfers.
The country ranks second in Africa behind Mauritius on the WorldBank Ease of Doing Business index. It is also ranked first in Africa
on the Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) by theAfrican Development Bank and the World Bank in 2018 (RDB, 2022).
This makes it the most favourable destination for private-sector
investment. The country also tops in closing the gender gap in subSaharan Africa (SSA), with a 79.6% score in 2020, hence providing
equal opportunities for youth, young women and marginalised
groups. A study by the Rwanda Development Board found that youth
in Rwanda are highly optimistic about the potential of STI to create
jobs and boost the economy. The study found that 85% of youth
believe that STI is essential for Rwanda’s economic development, and
75% believe that STI will create more jobs in the future (RDB, 2018).
The same study found that 65% of youth in Rwanda are interested
2

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

in pursuing careers in STI. This is a significant number, given that
Rwanda’s overall unemployment rate is 15% (Ibid). The study also
found that youth are more likely to be interested in STI careers if they
have access to quality education and training.

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

33. Methodology
This policy brief was developed from a comprehensive study thatdelved into STI policies, institutions, stakeholder mapping, and ananalysis of youth employment within the realm of technologicalinnovation, skill enhancement, and entrepreneurship development.
The study was conducted across seven Sub-Saharan African (SSA)
countries, namely Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal,and Uganda. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach,which enabled the collection of both qualitative and quantitative
data. The data-gathering process commenced with thorough deskstudies of existing literature and secondary data. Subsequently, key
informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted, involving 20 carefully
selected respondents, to obtain primary data that encompassed
both qualitative and quantitative aspects. To further enrich thedataset and cross-verify information obtained through othermethods, focus group discussions (FGD) were carried out. The study
engaged participants from a diverse range of stakeholder categories,
including government officials and policymakers, representatives
from the private sector and industry, members of civil society andnon-governmental organizations (NGOs), researchers, development
partners, and individuals from the media. Special attention wasgiven to ensuring inclusivity and gender balance in the selection of
respondents, with a particular focus on representing the voices ofyouth and other marginalized groups.

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Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

4. Major Findings
The findings of the study in Rwanda are discussed below. The STI
policies, institutions, best practices, challenges and opportunities forskills development, youth employment and entrepreneurship arehighlighted.
4.1 STI Policies and Programmes for Youth Employment in Rwanda
The Government of Rwanda (GoR) has been at the forefront of thedevelopment and implementation of STI-related policies over theyears. The policies have had impacts on the STI sector as well as
on other priority sectors of the government. Some of the policies
have directly and indirectly generated jobs for the youth, womenand people living with disabilities (PWDs). In 2013, the National
Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) was establishedwith a mandate to regulate national science, technology, researchand innovation activities and advise the government on policy andlegislation on STI. Its establishment was part of the national focus
placed on using STI as a catalyst for the country’s development. The
development trajectory of Rwanda is based on its ambitious Vision
2050 as stated in its National Transformation Strategy (NST1).
Rwanda aspires to be an upper-middle-income country by 2035 anda higher-income country by 2050. It is believed that realising thisVision 2050 will provide equal access for all Rwandans to high-quality
living standards and chances to engage in a productive economy.
The Vision also aims to create high-value and competitive jobs andsectors, modern infrastructure and productive livelihoods, and apositive contribution to international peace and prosperity, withinformation and communication technology (ICT) and STI serving
as key drivers in achieving the development goals in priority areas(GoR, 2017).
In 2021, Rwanda’s gross domestic expenditure on research anddevelopment (GERD) was 0.69% of GDP, a slight increase from
Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

5

0.66% in 2020 (GoR, 2021b). This puts Rwanda ahead of many other
African countries, but still well below the global average of 2.2%. The
majority of Rwanda’s Research and Development (R&D) expenditureis funded by the government, with the private sector contributing asmall share of about 5.5% of Rwanda’s GERD. Rwanda has renewed
its commitment to meeting the 1% R&D share of GDP by 2024 asprovided by the revised STI Policy of 2020 (GoR, 2020). The STI Policyof 2020 is supported by other key policies that promote Research andInnovation (R&I), skills development, and entrepreneurship. These
include the Education Sector Policy of 2003 set out to strengthenscientific and technological research in research centres anduniversities by advocating for the establishment of a national bodyfor technological research, the promotion of research and technicaltraining, the mobilisation of resources for scientific and technologicalresearch and the provision of research equipment.
The Ministry of Youth and ICT’s 2016 National Digital Talent Policy
addresses the mismatch between supply and demand for ICT skills,
strives to increase the number of ICT employees with marketoriented, specialised ICT skills, and encourages digital literacy
among youth. Lack of or inadequacy of these skills has significantly
curtailed progress in the ambition of the government to embrace STI
as the main enabler for socio-economic development. Along withother sectoral policies, the primary STI policies and strategies haveestablished several institutions, programmes, and initiatives thathave greatly assisted youngsters in acquiring skills and funds, as wellas creating jobs and owning enterprises.
The Rwandan government has taken steps to formalize the informal
sector, such as by providing training and support to informal
businesses. However, more needs to be done to ensure that workers
in the informal sector are protected and that they have access toopportunities for economic advancement. Some of the key STI
policies, strategies and programmes have been highlighted in Table
1.
6

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

4.2 STI Institutional Framework for Youth Employment in Rwanda
The National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) is theprincipal body mandated to coordinate and monitor national
science, technology, research and innovation activities, although thecoordination of innovation policy was shifted to the Ministry of ICT
and Innovation. The NCST is governed by the Council, co-chaired by
the Minister of Education, which is mandated to set up a firm researchand innovation system that ensures the alignment of STI with thenational development goals (Ministry of Education [MINEDUC],
2017). Nonetheless, the NCST remains a semi-autonomous agency
that implements STI policy and coordinates and funds other STIrelated activities, reporting directly to the Office of the Presidentof the Republic of Rwanda. The NCST promotes youth employment
through the National Research and Innovation Fund (NRIF).
The NCST has also established the National Science and Technology
Awards, which recognize and reward individuals and organizations
that have made significant contributions to research and developmentin the country. The awards have encouraged young people to pursue
careers in science and technology and have provided a platform forthem to showcase their innovative ideas and projects. Furthermore,
the NCST has collaborated with various institutions to provide training
and mentorship programs for young researchers and innovators. For
example, the NCST has partnered with the University of Rwanda
to establish the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), which provides
training and research opportunities in the field of biomedical
sciences. The decision to base research on one university in Rwanda
has had both positive and negative effects on the quality of researchand skill training in the country.
The concentration of research resources at the University of Rwanda
has led to the attraction of top researchers from around the world,
and it has been able to invest in state-of-the-art facilities. As a result,the university has produced a number of high-quality research
papers, and it has helped to train a new generation of Rwandan
Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation7

scientists and engineers. On the other hand, the concentration ofresearch resources has also led to some problems. For example, it
has made it difficult for researchers at other universities to accessthe latest research findings, and it has also made it difficult forthem to collaborate with researchers at the University of Rwanda.
Tracking and evaluating the quality of research in the country by thegovernment has become more difficult due to the concentrationof research resources in one institution. RBC has provided training
to over 3,000 young people, leading to job creation and economic
development in the country. Furthermore, the NRIF has establishedthe National Research and Innovation Fellowship for Women, which
provides support to female researchers and innovators to develop
and implement their ideas. The fellowship program has provided
funding to over 50 female researchers and innovators, leading to thecreation of job opportunities for women in various sectors.
Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) also plays a critical role in STI
implementation. It promotes the principles of good governance anddecentralisation, conducts research and policy analysis related togovernance, monitors practices of good governance, coordinates andsupports media sector development, registers political organisations,provides policy advocacy to the government, and enhances citizen
participation in the implementation of various governance initiatives.
One of the key initiatives undertaken by the RGB to promote
youth employment is the YouthConnekt program. This is a youth
empowerment program that provides training, mentorship, andnetworking opportunities to young people to help them develop
the skills and knowledge needed to start and grow businesses. Since
its launch in 2012, the program has reached over 1.5 million young
people, with over 40,000 of them receiving training and mentorshipto start businesses. The program has contributed to the creation ofover 22,000 jobs, of which a significant proportion are for young
people. The RGB has also established the National Youth Council(NYC), which serves as a platform for young people to participate
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Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

in decision-making processes, project youth voices and influence
policies that affect their lives.
A host of other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) drawn
from the key priority sectors play other roles to support NCST.
These roles are well defined under the National Innovation System(NIS) contributing to STI implementation resulting in technologicaldevelopment, youth employment and entrepreneurship. Other
actors in the ecosystem include research institutions (Universities,
TVETs), private sector/industry, CSOs/NGOs as well as development
partners. These play specific roles as mandated in line with theirinterests, wielding different levels of power and influence within
the realm of STI. Some of the roles include capacity building anddevelopment of skills among the youth, mentorship, creation ofopportunities for employment through social innovation, andprovision of funds for research through loans, scholarships and grants
among others. For instance, the NRIF in 2018, launched a US$30
million2 to support youth in job creation thanks to a loan from theAfrican Development Bank. NRIF has moved away from the original
mandate of supporting and disseminating research and now focuses
more heavily on providing equity financing for tech-enabled SMEs,
training tech-oriented entrepreneurs, and increasing awareness ofintellectual property rights.
The NRIF has also collaborated with various institutions to provide
training and mentorship programs for young innovators. For example,
the NRIF has partnered with the African Innovation Foundation toprovide the Innovation Prize for Africa, which recognizes and supports
African innovators with the potential to create social and economic
impact. The establishment of these critical institutions is importantin addressing some of the fundamental challenges in STI governance.
It is however important to note that the mere existence of these
institutions does not eliminate the myriad of challenges in the sector.
2

https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/rwanda-innovation-fund-project-to-receive-us-30-million-loan-from-africandevelopment-bank-17956

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation9

Issues of technical capacity among appointed officers and employees
are glaring thereby increasing bureaucracy and inefficiencies that are
sadly negatively affecting performance.
Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD3) has been
supporting youth in Rwanda. For instance, Niyokwiringirwa Priscilla,a member with an educational background in Agricultural andEnvironmental Management from the University of Rwanda, who isa beneficiary recommended that youth who live in rural areas needmore attention. She said:“Paying attention to the opportunities that exist in the urban
areas and comparing them with those in rural areas, one realizes
that they are different. Some young people are doing amazing
work in agriculture and livestock in rural areas. We do have agroentrepreneurs from these marginalized locations. I, therefore,
point out the need for this category of young people to be reached
and for all policies and programs to be inclusive. I am sure this will
reduce the number of young people who left behind farming andcome to urban cities to look for jobs.”
The other stakeholders in the ecosystem also collaborate withthe government to initiate and implement programmes aimed atenhancing youth employment. Some of the key institutions, roles
and impacts on youth employment are highlighted in Table 2.
4.3 Challenges and Opportunities for Youth Employment in Rwanda
In Rwanda, the challenges and opportunities in Science, Technology,
and Innovation (STI) for youth employment are multi-faceted. One of
the foremost challenges is the inadequate access to quality educationand training in STI for many young people. This educational gap
can hinder their ability to acquire the necessary skills demandedby the job market. There is a scarcity of opportunities for young
individuals to apply their STI skills in real-world workplaces, partly
attributed to a shortage of STI-related jobs and a lack of awareness3

https://www.ypard.net/

10 Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

among employers regarding the advantages of hiring youth with
STI competencies. Furthermore, gender inequality still persists
in STI fields, with young women being underrepresented due toprevailing gender stereotypes and societal norms. However, there
has been a recent shift in government where more and more
women with requisite skills and qualifications are being appointed
to prominent positions in government. Conversely, there arepromising opportunities on the horizon. Rwanda’s rapidly growing
economy is increasingly reliant on STI, resulting in new job prospects
for youth with STI skills. The government’s substantial commitment
to promoting STI and innovation is evident through investments
in research and development, educational enhancements, andinfrastructure improvements. Moreover, the demand for STI skills ison the rise in both the public and private sectors as STI becomes more
integral to various segments of the economy. These opportunities
signify the potential for STI to play a pivotal role in addressing youth
unemployment challenges and fostering economic development in
Rwanda.
There are concerns over the availability and reliability of electricity.
Almost one-third (31.5%) of enterprises participating in the Integrated
Business Enterprise Survey (IBES) identified a main difficulty as alack of reliable energy (NISR, 2017). These issues are reflected in
Rwanda’s position (68) on the Doing Business indicators component“getting electricity” (World Bank and Government of Rwanda, 2020).
Despite a good aggregate score on the Doing Business Indicators,
there is a high regulatory cost and complexity in starting and runninga business in Rwanda. The country still has opportunities to reduce
the regulatory expenses of starting a business, resolving insolvency,
enforcing contracts, trading across borders, and acquiring building
licenses and electrical connections. Several challenges in creating
a conducive environment for businesses to thrive, remain. Oneof the foundations for inclusive digital development is sound ICT
infrastructure which overcomes social, spatial and economic gaps.
These gaps are glaring in Rwanda as evidence shows that the part of
the Rwandan population with access to electricity has been increasing
Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation 11

since 2010, from 9.7% to 68.17% in 2021, however, progress in access toelectricity remains far below the universal access target of 100% by
20244. Moreover, the rural-urban divide continues to widen, with theurban access rate at 97% in 2020 and only 44% in the rural areas. In
addition, gender disparities persist, with more male-headedhouseholds (31.2%) accessing electricity compared to 21.1% of theirfemale-headed counterparts (Gihana and Kooijman, 2020).
In terms of skillsets and literacy levels, the literacy rate among those
aged 15 and above was 72.4%, with women accounting for 69.3%
and males accounting for 76.1% in 2020 (Twinoburyo et al, 2022).
However, the computer literacy rate among people aged 15 andup was as low as 11.9% (males 14.7% and females 9.6%). The total
predicted adoption rate of digital skills in Rwanda in 2019 was 20-25%,
with the services sector having the highest adoption rate at 30-35%
and the agriculture sector having the lowest adoption rate at 5-10%(International Finance Corporation [IFC], 2021). The affordability ofdigital skills training varies by household, with foundational/basic
skills projected to be affordable for 20-25% of households but
dropping to less than 5% for advanced and highly specialized skills
such as computer science skills, Big data analytics, IT systems andnetworks as well as software development skills (IFC, 2021).
In contrast to the good conditions on offer for foreigners, there is alack of an efficient investment framework with a clear incentive for
local investors, particularly in the informal sector, as well as a very
high level of interest rates for loans accessible in banks (16-17%).
As a result of the government’s efforts to encourage foreign
investment, the country has seen a surge in FDI in recent years.
However, no structure for efficient investment with clear incentives for
local investors exists. One of the key reasons for this is that local
investors have restricted access to capital. An example is the Rwanda
Development Board’s (RDB) One-Stop Center for foreign investors.
However, there is lack of similar policies to support local investors.
This creates an uneven playing field, where foreign investors have4

Rwanda’s 100% electrification target by 2024 receives frw 82.1 billion financing boost (reg.rw)

12 Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

more advantages over local investors. According to the 2022 annual
report by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Rwanda has
one of the lowest levels of domestic private investment in SSA hence,harming local investment. This provides an opportunity for stronger
policy advocacy from the local private sector.
Despite progress in STI policy, governance and actors’ interactions
in Rwanda, the challenge of weak interactions among R&I actors
and the broader STI ecosystem persists. This is exemplified by someof the initiatives and programmes such as the National Internship
Program (NIT), which has achieved less than a 60% employment
rate, suggesting the need for restructuring. The NIT program wasadopted to equip students with practical skill sets to smoothen theirtransition from school to the labour market. Since its launch, 7,500
graduates have transitioned through the program, 58.3% of them
being employed, while the remaining 41.3% are still jobless. This ispartly because interns are not able to get the best experience on thejob, as most of the tasks given to them are “clerical” and employers
invest little time in their development.
4.4 Best Practices and Impacts for Youth Employment in Rwanda
Rwanda, as previously mentioned in this brief, has been credited withtaking aggressive measures in embracing STI in comparison to other
SSA countries. Rwanda’s market economy must become increasingly
complicated as it achieves middle-income status. Strong government
support will still be required, but its mission will increasingly be toencourage private investment and develop strong market institutions
that ensure the private (formal and informal) sector follows
predictable rules of the game. Enterprise development in Rwanda
should continue to alleviate market failures and stimulate private
sector development, especially given Rwanda’s private sector poor
investment capability. The government has established a solid trackrecord of reforms to foster the development of innovative and viablebusinesses. This is evidenced by its rapidly improved ranking in the
Ease of Doing Business Index. The work is by no means finished. Many
Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation 13

private-sector firms are small and informal and have limited-scaleeconomies critical for competitiveness and limited export presence
and capacity for innovation. The government has for instance
automated key government services using the e-governance platform“IREMBO6” as well as implementing the use of ICT to increase accessto financial services using mobile phones and in connection with thebanks (Mobile banking system).
The development of a set of Governance and Home-Grown Initiatives(GHI) has translated culturally owned practices into research
programmes through RGB to foster accountability in governance,
democracy and decentralisation for sustainable development
and has been a major success in Rwanda. These initiatives haveyielded significant achievements, especially in the informal sector
where youth and women have hugely benefitted. The Made in
Rwanda Policy of 2017 has improved competitiveness, enhanced
demand for Rwandan value-added products, narrowed the tradebalance, and generated jobs for youth and women, especially in theinformal sector. It brings together existing government interventions
under a clear policy framework. It has also addressed supply-sidebottlenecks via targeted interventions to improve quality, boost costcompetitiveness, deepen domestic supply chains, and develop actionplans for specific high-potential value chains.
The Rwanda Innovation Hub has helped to launch several successful
youth-led STI initiatives that have created jobs in the informal sector.
The Hub has supported the establishment and growth of FabLab
Rwanda, which has provided training and mentorship to youth
interested in entrepreneurship, innovation, and manufacturing.
Through its support, HeHe Labs has been able to expand its operations,offering services such as mobile applications and payment solutions
by employing local talent and providing training opportunities.
Through these initiatives, young Rwandans have gained skills andknowledge in various technological areas, fostering job creation inboth the formal and informal sectors.
6 https://irembo.gov.rw/home/citizen/all_services

14 Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

Strategic partnerships and scientific programs have been initiatedthat have supported STI development through capacity building
and grants. In July 2021, NCST became a member of GloPID-R tocollaborate with global partners on epidemics and pandemics. It isalso a member of the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI),
which develops the capacity of 15 science granting councils in SSA.
The government working with the private sector has also beendeveloping programmes under public-private partnership (PPP)
agreements that have been very successful in providing skills and job
opportunities for the youth and marginalized groups. For instance,
the YouthConnekt, a PPP initiative discussed in the previous section
was a collaboration of UNDP with the government through the
Ministry of Youth and ICT that has created jobs and trained young
people. The Business Development Fund (BDF) is also a PPP initiative
aimed at promoting economic growth and job creation in Rwanda.
According to its 2020 annual report, BDF has supported the creationof over 4,000 jobs in various sectors, including manufacturing,
agriculture, and tourism. Additionally, the initiative has provided over
32,000 loans to SMEs, resulting in the creation of over 20,000 jobs.
Also, Kepler has partnered with organizations such as Mastercard
Foundation and Acumen to provide funding and support to young
entrepreneurs.
The Mastercard Foundation also launched the Young Africa Works
Strategy in Rwanda in 2018, with the aim of equipping 30,000 young
individuals with skills for employment in the tourism and hospitality
sector. The strategy also emphasises on enhancing secondary school
education quality in order to improve young people’s overall skills
and capabilities. The Foundation works with a variety of stakeholders,
including the government, business sector, civil society, and young
people themselves, to develop effective initiatives that are in linewith Rwanda’s objectives. The Foundation through its strategy sought
to capitalise on Rwanda’s economic growth, social development, andpolitical reform in order to generate and sustain opportunities foryouth.
7https://www.glopid-r.org/

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation 15

16 Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

National Science, - Focuses on promoting science, - Contributed to the decline - Need to prioritize the teaching
technology, and innovation to of the unemployment rate
Technology, andofscience,technology,
drive economic growth and among youth aged 16-30
Innovation Policy
engineering, and mathematics
development, with a particularfrom 18.2% in 2019 to(NSTIP) of 2020
(STEM) subjects- Develop market–driven and - Has achieved free universal - It will be important to prioritisecompetency–based education
basic education resulting insectors such as tourism,
system that prioritises innovativea net enrolment of almost
information technology, andjobs in ICT, tourism, aeronautics,
100% in primary school.
manufacturing; reform thecomputerprogramming - Has encouraged private
education system to prioritize
and venture capital; Build asectorcompanies
toskills development that is
productive society through TVET
give youth on–the–job
relevant to the needs of theand tertiary education; Scale up
worker training and work
job market, including practical
the percentage of TVET graduates
placements.
training
andinternshipfrom 31.1% to 60% by 2024; andprograms.
establish and maintain new andexisting Centres of Excellence in- Provide incentives and support
STI.
for young entrepreneurs,
including access to financing,businessdevelopment
services, and mentorshipprograms.

Remarks

Vision 2050
and National
Strategy forTransformation(NST1) 20172024

Impact on skills development
and youth employment

Roles in skills development andyouth employment

STI Policies andProgrammes

Table 1: A summary of key STI Policies, their roles and impact on skills development and youth employment in Rwanda

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation 17

to equip young people withthe skills and knowledge
needed for the job market.
Provideincentives
andsupportforinnovation,
includingresearchanddevelopment
funding,technology transfer, andcommercialization support.
- Need to be more investorfocused to attract larger
enterprises and scale thetraining, this can be throughtargeted efforts from the RDB.

15.3% in 2021. In 2021,
over 2,000 young people
participated in the annual
National
ScienceandTechnology
Exhibition,
showcasing their innovativeideas and solutions.

- Aims to equip young people with - Has had a positive impact
National Skills
relevant skills and knowledge on youth employment,
Development
to improve their employability contributing to a reduction inand Employment
andcreateemployment youth unemployment rates
Promotion
opportunities in the country. The and creating opportunities for
Strategy
National Training and Education young people to gain relevant(2019-2024)
skills and knowledge andExcellence Programme will
engage in entrepreneurshipmeasure TVET and Higher
self-employment.
andEducation
performance, Hasalso
createdaidentify best practices and conducive environment forsolve problems. The market- entrepreneurship and selfled education initiative elevates employment.
the private sector’s voice, - The strategy has set a target
reinvigorates
SectorSkills of increasing the participation
Councils, and ensures that the of young women in thelabour force from 33% tosectoral skills gaps are
50% by 2024.

emphasisoncreating
employment
opportunities
for young people. Accelerates
and strengthens performanceindicators within the nationalinnovation system in linewith the national strategy fortransformation.

18 Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation- NEP focuses on creating a - The Revised NEP has created
opportunities for young
Revised National conducive environment for job
people to gain relevant
creation and improving the quality
Employment
skillsandknowledgeof employment opportunities,
Policy of 2019
throughvarioustrainingwith a particular emphasis on
and the Rwanda
programs and initiatives.
young people. Youth are given
National YouthFor example, the Rwanda
access to education, especially
Policy of 2015
Polytechnic, a vocational
secondary education. Enhanceand technical training
TVET quality with a focus on more
institution, has establishedpractical hands-on training. TVET
centres of excellence inand quality vocational training
various fields such as ICT,
to provide hands-on/practicalengineering, and healthtraining. A responsive education
sciences, providing training
and training system to meetto over 6,000 young people
current and future youth needs.
annually therefore helping
Develop demand-driven skills.
in bridging the gap inskills among the youth in
Rwanda.

addressed. Capacity Development
Programme will be responsive toinvestors and the government’s
development priorities (e.g.,financial hub, health tourism, etc.)- The government should ensurethat policies and programs aredesigned to promote genderequality and ensure thatwomen have equal accessto education, training, andemployment opportunities.
It will be good to consolidate
the policies and programmes
around youth employment
instead of having too many ofthem doing the same things.
- Reform the TVET and higher
education systems to respondto labour market demand.
- Prioritize the development
of digital literacy programs inschools and communities toensure that young people
have the necessary digitalskills to participate in thedigital economy.

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation 19

Rwanda Digital
Talent Policy of2016- A five–year priority skills
development programme intelecommunications, computer
networking, database, software
engineering
andmobileapplications, multimedia, digital
design, information security andIT project management.
- It will implement the national
digital skills and literacy
programme to create 200,000
new jobs.

The ICT sector in Rwanda hascreated over 44,000 jobs, with asignificant portion of these jobs
being filled by young people. The
sector has also contributed tothe country’s economic growth,
accounting for 3.5% of the GDP in
2019. Has created opportunities
for young people to gain digitalskills and knowledge throughvarious training programs andinitiatives. For example, theMinistry of ICT and Innovation
established the Rwanda Coding
Academy, which provides training
insoftwaredevelopment,
robotics, and data science toyoung people aged 18-30. The
policy has also prioritized thepromotion of entrepreneurshipand innovation among young
people. The government hasestablished the National YouthCouncilInnovation
Fund,providing financial and technicalsupport to young entrepreneurs
and innovators in the ICT sector.
The fund has supported over 200
projects, creating over 800 jobs
for young people.
- Invest in the development oftechnology and infrastructure
in rural areas to ensure thatyoung people have access tothe tools necessary to develop
digital skills and participate in
the digital economy.
should- Thegovernment
provideincentives
andsupport for young digital
entrepreneurs,
includingaccess to financing, businessdevelopment services, andmentorship programs.
should- Thegovernment
partner with the private sector
to create opportunities foryoung people to leverage theirdigital skills and contributeto the growth of the digital
economy.
-The
government
shoulddevelop policies and programs
toprovideinformationonjob
opportunities,
training
programs,
andentrepreneurshipsupportservices to young people,
including those in rural areas.

20 Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

MINEDUC is responsible for implementing
policies and initiatives that support thedevelopment of the education sector
and provide young people with the skills
and knowledge needed to succeed in theworkforce.
MINICT is responsible for implementing
policies and initiatives that support the growthof the ICT sector, which has been a major
source of job creation for young people.

NCST is responsible for coordinating andimplementing policies and initiatives that
promote the development of science andtechnology in Rwanda.

Ministry of
Education(MINEDUC)
and Ministryof ICT and
Innovation(MINICT)

National
Council for
Science andTechnology(NCST)NCST has implemented various programs and initiatives aimed atpromoting innovation and entrepreneurship among young people.
For example, the council has established the National Innovation
Fund, which provides financial and technical support to young
innovators and entrepreneurs in Rwanda. The fund has supported
over 200 projects, creating over 2,000 jobs for young people.
NCST has established the National Science and Technology Award,
which recognizes and rewards young scientists and innovators fortheir contributions to the development of S&T in Rwanda.
Has established partnerships with private sector organizations
and academic institutions to promote the development of
S&T in Rwanda eg it collaborated with the African Institute forMathematical Sciences (AIMS) to establish an AIMS centre in
Rwanda. The Council has contributed to the creation of over
10,000 jobs in the science and technology sector since its
establishment in 2008.

The Workforce Development Authority (WDA), under thesupervision of MINEDUC, has established vocational training
centres and provided training to young people in various sectors
such as construction, hospitality, and agriculture. Over 130,000
young people have been trained in vocational skills since 2013,
and over 70% of these graduates have found employment or
started their own businesses.

Table 2: Summary of key institutions, their roles and impact on youth employment in Rwanda
Impacts on skills development and youth employment
STI Institutions Roles in skills
STI Institutions
development and youth employment
Government: Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs)

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation 21

NYC is a government institution responsible forpromoting the development and participationof young people in various sectors of national
development. The council has establishedvarious programs and initiatives aimed atpromoting entrepreneurship and employment
among young people

NIRDA is a government institution responsible
for promoting research and development invarious industries, including manufacturing,
construction, and agriculture. The agency
has established various programs andinitiatives aimed at supporting the growth anddevelopment of the country’s industrial sector.

National YouthCouncil (NYC)

National
Industrial
Research andDevelopment
Agency (NIRDA)

Has established partnerships with private sector organizations
and international development partners to promote job
creation and entrepreneurship among young people eg.
NIRDA has collaborated with the United Nations Industrial
Development Organization (UNIDO) to establish the Rwanda
Youth in Industry Program, which provides training and support
to young people in the industrial sector. NIRDA also established
the Rwanda Standards Board, which is responsible fordeveloping and implementing standards in various industries.
The board has established various programs and initiatives
aimed at improving the quality of products and services.

Established the YouthConnekt program, which provides
training and support to young people, helping them to develop
the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the job
market. The program has trained over 50,000 young people
since its establishment in 2012. NYC also established the Youth
Empowerment Fund, which provides financial support to young
entrepreneurs. The fund has provided over 200 loans to young
entrepreneurs, creating over 1,000 jobs for young people.

Responsible for implementing policies and RGB has established the Rwanda Business Development
regulations that promote good governance Fund (BDF), which provides financial and technical support to
SMEs. The fund has supported over 1,500 SMEs, creating over
and accountability in Rwanda.
20,000 jobs for young people since its establishment in 2011.
Established the Rwanda Youth in Business Program (RYBP),
which provides training and support to young entrepreneurs.
It has trained over 10,000 young people in entrepreneurshipskills and provided over 500 grants to young entrepreneurs tostart or expand their businesses.

RwandaGovernance
Board (RGB)22 Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

AIMS Rwanda is a pan-African institution thatprovides advanced education and researchin mathematical sciences. The institute has
established various programs and initiatives
aimed at promoting the development of
STEM skills and knowledge among young
people in Rwanda.

Provides students with advanced knowledge and skills inareas such as data science, machine learning, and artificial
intelligence. The program has trained over 200 students since
its establishment in 2016, with over 60% of graduates finding
employment in the private sector, academia, and research
institutions.

RwandaOrganization for
Development
Initiatives (RODI)
KeplerContributes to the formation of a newgeneration of development agents andcompetitive small farmers in Rwanda.
Is a non-profit higher education programthat operates a university campus in Kigali,
Rwanda. It is one of the first programs
worldwide to integrate massive open
online courses (MOOCs), flip teaching, andother education technology practices into a
blended learning curriculum, with the goalof lowering the cost of higher education
without a reduction in academic quality or
outcomes.

RODI has supported more than 20,000 Farmers and Young
Entrepreneurs in the framework of Value chain Development,
job creation, access to finance through Saving and Lending
Internal Communities (SLICs) and job placement since 2012.
-Over 90% of graduates from the bachelor’s degree program
have found employment within six months of graduation.
Graduates have gone on to work in a range of industries,
including finance, healthcare, hospitality, and non-profit
organizations.
-Kepler has partnered with organizations such as the
Mastercard Foundation and Acumen to provide funding andsupport to young entrepreneurs.

Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s)/ Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs)

African Institutefor Mathematical
Sciences (AIMS)
RwandaPrivate Sector

5. Conclusion
Rwanda is one of the countries in the SSA region that is fully
embracing STI as a means for propelling its economic growth toachieve its national goal. It has created some level of the enabling
policy environment as well as set up institutions to implement them.
Rwanda has adopted and implemented several initiatives to promote
innovation, such as the Rwanda Innovation Fund, which provides
funding and support to innovative projects and start-ups, and the
Smart Rwanda Master Plan among others. There are many examplesof good practices that are being implemented although more needs
to be done to develop skills, create jobs for the youth and enhance
entrepreneurship. These have come with a fair share of challenges
that offer opportunities to the various actors in the ecosystem totake them up.

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation 23

6. Policy Recommendations
In view of the study findings, the following recommendations areproffered:
Recommendation 1: Consider establishing initiatives aimed atfunding start-ups, mentorship and scaling up of new ventures:
Given the high number of business failures especially in the ICT
sector, the government should entice large investors and capital
ventures to offer start-ups a chance to merge or collaborate toassure their profitability and sustainability. The government could
also support these efforts by allocating government procurement
opportunities to ICT startups and established enterprises andoffering or enabling them to launch products or scale up operations
to levels that are competitive worldwide. It is also vital to widen theapplication of ICT principles beyond mobile phone services. This is
likely to increase chances for young innovators and entrepreneurs,
broadening Rwanda’s mostly informal economy. The private sector
in these spaces is also encouraged to support start-ups by funding,mentorship or even partnering to ensure the success of the ventures.
Recommendation 2: Commit towards increasing institutional
capacities and building awareness among firms on STI to trigger
youth skilling and employment in both the formal and informal
sectors: Considering the low level of education among Rwandan
youth, particularly in rural areas, the government and other key
stakeholders must commit to raising these standards throughincreased investment in education as well as increased capacity
building activities and training within the existing structuresof institutions and business firms. This is expected to increaseknowledge, which is essential for unleashing the potential of STI
in the creation of job opportunities and entrepreneurship among
youth. The necessity for systems to protect youth and women in
the informal sector, which plays a major part in the rural economy,
is also regarded as critical. This is supported by the fact that the
24 Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creationinformal sector has demonstrated resilience in the face of economic
problems, acting as a buffer and absorbing labour that may not be
absorbed by the formal sector.
Recommendation 3: Enable cooperation and coordination between
various sectoral and thematic policies and their institutions toincrease and expand economic opportunities for the youth: As
the largest proportion of the Rwandan economy is informal, thecooperation and coordination amongst actors must be enhanced
through the development of engagement platforms which will be
used to air out concerns affecting each stakeholder category. It isalso expected that sectoral issues ailing the economy can be tackled
within these platforms thereby harmonizing efforts and unlocking
synergies geared towards creating employment opportunities forthe youth and marginalised groups.
Recommendation 4: All stakeholders should consider working
closely to develop assessments and evaluations of policy outcomesthat can be used in policy learning and for improving performancein subsequent policy cycles: Given that the development andimplementation of various policies and programs in Rwanda yielded
mixed results in the face of different challenges, the government
must now collaborate with all stakeholders to develop assessment
criteria and evaluations that will periodically indicate performance toallow timely tweaking of activities and strategies to ensure the pathto success is not obstructed. Furthermore, these evaluations can behighly useful papers for ensuring that future policies and programs
avoid mistakes and learn from prior programs. For each policy/
program/strategy, elaborate monitoring and evaluation proceduresmust be built, with quality indicators in place to determine success or
failure in the creation of jobs for the youth and improved livelihoods
for the marginalised.

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation 25

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Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation 27

ATPS TechnoPolicy Briefs Series• Leveraging Science, Technology, and Innovation for Enhanced
Youth Employment in Nigeria (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 66)• Unlocking the Potential of Education and Skills for Supporting
Youth Employment in Kenya (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 65)• Harnessing Science and Technological Innovation for Youth
Employment and Skill Acquisition in Ghana (ATPS TechnoPolicy
Brief No. 64)• Is Ethiopia’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Landscape
Effectively Creating Jobs and Fostering Skills for the Youth? (ATPSTechnoPolicy Brief No. 63)• University-Led Ecosystems for Sustained Innovation and
Entrepreneurship Development in Kenya (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief
No. 62)• Eco-innovation Policies for Sustainable Development in Africa(ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 61)• Institutional Landscape for Eco-innovation Development in Africa(ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 60)• Policy and Institutional Framework for Ecological Organic
Agriculture in Benin (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 59)• Institutional Framework for Ecological Organic Agriculture in
Kenya (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 58)• Policy and Institutional Framework for Ecological Organic
Agriculture in Senegal (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 57)• Advancing Ecological Organic Agriculture in Nigeria (ATPSTechnoPolicy Brief No. 56)• Policy and Institutional Framework for Ecological Organic
Agriculture in Rwanda (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 55)• Bridging Climate Information Gaps to Strengthen Capacities for
Climate Informed Decision (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 54)• Embracing Open Contracting in Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief
No. 53)• The Digital Revolution, Open Science, and Innovation for OpenScience Development in Sub-Saharan Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy
Brief No. 52)
28 Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

• Nouvelles approaches de fi nancement de la recherché et deL’innovation en Afrique (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 51)• New Approaches for Funding Research and Innovation in Africa(ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 50)• Towards Effective Public-Private Partnerships in Research andInnovation: A Perspective for African Science Granting Councils(ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 49)• Innovative Practices and Policies for Promoting Biodiversity
Informatics in Sub-Saharan Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 48)• Improving the Relevance of University Training to Labour Market
Demands in Africa (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 47)• Developing Policies for Biodiversity Informatics in sub-SaharanAfrica (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 46)• ICTs role in Agricultural Development: Prospects of Land Potential
Knowledge System (LandPKS) (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 45)• Mainstreaming Gender in the National Science, Technology andInnovation (STI) Policy of Kenya (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 44)• Social Innovation: An Untapped Resource for Inclusive Green
Growth (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 43)• Policy Axes that Can Uphold Agricultural Innovations for Climate
Change Adaptation and Food Security in Central Africa: Case of
Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic (ATPSTechnoPolicy Brief No. 42)• Frameworks for Intellectual Property Protection of Traditional
Knowledge in Tanzania (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 41)• Assessment of Possible Intellectual Property Protection Optionsof Traditional Knowledge System in Ethiopia (ATPS TechnoPolicy
Brief No. 40)• Towards influencing National Legislation, Policies, Strategies andProgrammes for appropriate Protection and Benefit-Sharing ofTraditional Knowledge (TK) with and by Traditional Herbalists in
Uganda. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 39)• Traditional Healers and their Provision of Mental Health Services
in Cosmopolitan Informal Settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. (ATPSTechnoPolicy Brief No. 38)• Policy Implications for Intellectual Property Systems for Traditional
Healers in Lesotho. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 37)
Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation 29

• Incidence of Indigenous and Innovative Climate Change
Adaptation Practices for Smallholder Framers’ Livelihood Security
in Chikhwawa District, Southern Malawi. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief
No. 36)• Machobane Farming System and its Relevance to Climate Change
Policy in Lesotho. (ATPS TechnoPolicy Brief No. 35)

30 Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation 31

32 Understanding Rwanda’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Landscape in Youth Employment Creation

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The African Technology Policy Studies Network(ATPS) is a transdisciplinary network of researchers,
policymakers, private sector actors and the civilƐŽĐŝĞƚǇƉƌŽŵŽƟŶŐƚŚĞŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶ͕ĚŝƐƐĞŵŝŶĂƟŽŶ͕ƵƐĞĂŶĚŵĂƐƚĞƌǇŽĨ^ĐŝĞŶĐĞ͕dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐǇĂŶĚ/ŶŶŽǀĂƟŽŶƐ(STI) for African development, environmentalƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďŝůŝƚǇ ĂŶĚ ŐůŽďĂů ŝŶĐůƵƐŝŽŶ͘ /Ŷ ĐŽůůĂďŽƌĂƟŽŶǁŝƚŚ ůŝŬĞͲŵŝŶĚĞĚ ŝŶƐƟƚƵƟŽŶƐ͕ dW^ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐƉůĂƞŽƌŵƐĨŽƌƌĞŐŝŽŶĂůĂŶĚŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƟŽŶĂůƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĂŶĚknowledge sharing in order to build Africa’sĐĂƉĂďŝůŝƟĞƐ ŝŶ ^d/ ƉŽůŝĐǇ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ͕ ƉŽůŝĐǇŵĂŬŝŶŐ ĂŶĚŝŵƉůĞŵĞŶƚĂƟŽŶĨŽƌƐƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďůĞĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ͘

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