President Paul Kagame has said that universal access to fast and affordable internet is one of the few pathways out of poverty into prosperity in this century.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, yesterday, at a workshop dubbed "Innovations to Connect the Unconnected,” the Head of State said that ICT and digital connectivity were now essential public utilities and were no longer considered luxuries.

"Information Communication Technologies and digital connectivity have been proven to be an essential public utility and development tool, it is not a luxury,” Kagame said.

ICT and digital connectivity, if well incorporated to national development, can serve to reduce poverty, he noted.

"Without fast and affordable internet access, there are few pathways from poverty to prosperity in the 21st century,” the Head of State said.

He pointed out that to make maximum benefit of ICT and connectivity, Rwanda has set ambitious targets to have universal access to broadband and also embed Information Communication Technologies in all aspects of public service.

To facilitate this, Rwanda has rolled out policies that are conducive to investments in the sector.

"Progress in Rwanda and other countries on the continent is possible with the right policies, investments and focus,” he said.

Kagame challenged leaders from across the world to look into innovative ways to connecting the unconnected population across the world to ensure universal rollout of benefits.

"Let’s discuss innovative ways to connect the 3.9 billion that are unconnected to the Internet,” he said.

Rwanda has in recent years made efforts to promote rollout of ICT and broadband connectivity to support various sectors, including justice, healthcare, logistics, general public service and healthcare, among others.

Courtesy of ICT and connectivity, most public services are available online through the government service provision portal Irembo which has improved public service delivery in the country.

The government’s resolve to promote the sector has also attracted private investments, including multinationals and corporations such as Microsoft which is partnering with the Ministry of Education.

The ongoing 47th World Economic Forum has attracted world leaders, from business and government, to international organisations, academia and civil society.

The three-day forum is running under the theme, "Responsive and Responsible Leadership,” with a focus on improving global cooperation and collaboration.

Rwanda is among the countries taking part in this year’s edition and will feature in several sessions, some which will serve to showcase opportunities in the country.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw