On Monday, the newly formed National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA) got a new director general to steer the agency to the next level. The country’s lead agency in industrial research and development has been empowered with a wider mandate, which, if well executed, can see Rwanda’s industrial sector grow by leaps and bounds.

Research is crucial in realising Rwanda’s development goals through revamping the country’s industrial sector.  As the new research agency boss assumes office, he must focus on research, especially on goods produced by local industries to make them more competitive on the international market.

Investing in research will in the future put the country on the pedestal of industrial and energy sufficient countries.

Industrialisation has the potential to create thousands of jobs along the value chain of the different sectors. From oil seed farmers and small agro processors, extension staff and experts, to energy producers, retailers and transporters.

However, for industrialization to be sustainable, it must embrace the green economy approach through use of renewable energy.

But a renewable energy policy is yet to be implemented. The policy, that has been gathering dust at the Ministry of Education for the past seven years, could unlock all these opportunities.

Otherwise, NIRDA could, like its predecessor entity, be just another agency with no relevance to the country’s strategic needs. It is in the interest of the country to have the policy in place right away so that NIRDA can fulfill its mandate of supporting the country’s development and industrialisation objectives.