Artificial Intelligence, 5G and the tech funds that Rwanda is using to drag itself into the future w/ Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation

The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya

Rwanda is many things. On one hand, it is among the poorest countries in the world and on the other hand, it is, to me at least, one of the most forward-thinking nations on the globe. Actually, when you think about it, the lack of resources perhaps creates the innovation.

Let’s look back at what’s been done so far. Rwanda partnered with an American startup, Zipline, to deliver lifesaving drugs to rural health centers by drone. Then it partnered with Starlink, Elon Musk’s company, to provide high speed internet to rural schools.

The country, made up of citizens that earn an average of a thousand dollars a year, has still found the means to launch satellites into space, and found coding academies.

How is this possible? What are the driving forces behind it? What are the tangible benefits? What are the risks involved? And what does Rwanda look like, technologically speaking, in the next couple of years and decades? And how does Rwanda’s Artificial Intelligence policy fit into all of this?

To answer these questions, I am joined on the Long Form podcast this week by Paula Ingabire, Rwanda's Minister of ICT and Innovation

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw
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