President Paul Kagame yesterday met with Akihiko Tanaka, the president of Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) at his office, and discussed bilateral cooperation and how to enhance relations between the two countries.

The two also explored investment opportunities in regional power grid within the Eastern Africa region and the need for private sector involvement.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Tanaka said in the meeting with the President, they reviewed the cooperation activities between Rwanda and Japan in the recent years and were appreciative of the joint activities, including infrastructure development such as the Rusumo International Bridge which was recently completed and will be unveiled today.

"The President reviewed the developmental prospects and we have agreed on enhancement of regional power connectivity in eastern Africa. I was very delighted to hear the President’s vision which is compatible with what Jica is doing in this country,” he said.

Tanaka, however, observed that one of the challenges in the coming years is how to maximally involve the private sector.

"Jica is conducting development assistance which could be the basis of future development but on top of that, the President emphasised the need for more private sector investments from Japan. I agreed with him and pledged Jica’s committment to  promoting Rwanda’s private sector,” Tanaka said.

Tanaka arrived in Rwanda for a three-day visit as part of honouring President Kagame’s invitation extended to him during their 2013 meeting on the sidelines of The Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) in Yokohama, Japan.

Prior to his meeting with President Kagame, Tanaka visited Innovation Hub, K-Lab and commended Rwanda for making the most of the development assistance offered to the Information Communication Technology sector and for increasing its contribution to national development.

The Hub was founded by Jica in partnership with Rwanda Development Board, and Private Sector Federation (PSF) -ICT Chamber, as a platform to give young ICT entrepreneurs more potential to work closely with Japanese businesses.

 "We are glad to be part of innovative activities such as K-lab.  Many attempts indicate that there are great opportunities for  Rwandans as well as many possibilities for national development,” the Agency’s president said.

He said for innovation to take place, free and flexible places such as K-Lab were necessary hence their involvement in the hub’s establishment.

"I am satisfied with the people working from here and those graduating from here; they are making headways into the innovative future for Rwanda,” Tanaka said.

 Tanaka’s official visit will end today after inspecting projects funded by the Japan’s government Aid implementing agency, including Rusumo International Bridge and One Stop Border Post (OSBP) facilities.

 The Agency has been instrumental in bolstering that rehabilitation process and economic development after re-establishing their Kigali office nine years ago.

The agency’s development assistance has mostly been in infrastructure development mostly (energy and transport,) agriculture development, small enterprise promotion, water and sanitation as well as human resources development.

Last year, Jica sponsored 14 students for masters programme in the areas of ICT and Geothermal development.

Besides the academic part, the students will have a chance to work in top firms in Japan as interns and will learn and get the opportunity to put their skills to use.

Speaking on the sidelines of his visit to the hub, Rwandan ambassador to Japan, Dr Charles Murigande, said Japan through Jica had been a key development partner in various sectors.

We want to use the development assistance to leverage investments and lobby Japanese companies to consider investing here and working with local companies.

 He noted that their assistance in human development had two approaches – through Tumba College and scholarships for higher learning- which had enabled the country build a pool of qualified human resources.

Patrick Kabagema, the chairperson of the Private Sector Federation ICT chamber lauded the Agency and the Japanese Government in general for their assistance to the private sector in terms of developing the skills and competence of Rwandans involved in ICT.