Policies that support innovative green growth are essential as Rwanda develops secondary cities across the country. According to Japanese experts, embracing smart technologies and renewable energy will help Rwanda attract more investors into the country and realise its goal of becoming a green economy.

In an interview with The New Times in Tokyo, Taro Fujimoto, the Fujistu global business division chief, argued that ‘green policies’ ensure sustainable urban development. He added that they will help make the upcoming satellite cities competitive, as well as increase Rwanda’s carbon market credits globally.

Rwanda is developing regional centres of excellence and provincial satellite cities under the second Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II). The two initiatives aim at supporting regional growth and urbanisation, as well as creating jobs for youth in the countryside to reduce rural-urban migration.

Accordingly, the government is developing Musanze in Northern Province, Nyagatare in Eastern Province, Huye and Muhanga in Southern Province, as well as Rubavu and Rusizi in Western Province as satellite cities under EDPRS II to promote equitable growth across the country. The country’s development blueprint was launched in 2013 and ends in about two years (second phase).

Fujimoto said creating secondary cities could help make Rwanda one of the most popular innovation hubs on the continent.

He, however, said there is need to promote technology use in these cities, arguing that this will attract and support investments and ensure sustainable growth.

"The take home lesson from Japan for economies like Rwanda include how green industrialisation policies benefit the economy, and embracing new technologies to improve efficiency of urban systems, as well as using predict and control power consumption,” Fujimoto said on Tuesday.

Akira Wakabayashi, the director for Palm Secure Business Development in Japan, said urban systems must be built to enhance safety, reliability, and sustainability, besides putting into consideration future investments.

While Rwanda targets to achieve about 35 per cent rate of urbanisation by 2020, Wakabayashi said this will require concerted efforts and collaboration from both global players and local stakeholders, an approach he said has worked well for Japan.

This will help countries like Rwanda to achieve an environmentally-conscious and affluent society that supports sustainable development, he added.

Almost 70 per cent of the world’s population is expected to live in urban centres in the next 35 years.

Rwanda’s rural urban migration rate stands at 4.8 per cent way above the current global average of 1.9 per cent. The country’s current urban growth is at 4.1 per cent, while 17 per cent of national population live in urban areas.

Lilian Mupende, the chief executive officer of Ultimate Developers and former urban planning chief at the City of Kigali, said the need to build Rwanda’s satellite cities using smart and innovative models cannot be overemphasised.

"Cities across the world are seeking to create more efficient, sustainable ways to operate through smart and most technologically advanced ways,” she said.

Embracing renewable energy Shiratori Nobuyoshi, the in charge of international co-operation for waste management in Tokyo, said urban planners of secondary cities need to put in place proper environment management systems to make them more sustainable.

Nobuyoshi said, to prepare for the future, economies like Rwanda must build and provide solutions that are eco-friendly with green infrastructure as part of the strategy to promote green economy.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw