The Minister of Mines and Natural Resources, Vicent Karega, this week told a delegation of Americans led by their ambassador to Rwanda that the mining sector in Rwanda has a lot of potential and called for greater investment in the sector.

Major investment in the expertise and technology required in the mining sector is the way the sector can be developed to create benefits for both the nationals and the foreign entrepreneurs behind the investments. This is a project that can not be undertaken by only one stakeholder.

Neither the government nor the private investors can go it alone. In recent days we have seen the process of extracting methane gas in Lake Kivu in addition to efforts at oil exploration. It will be recalled that these are technology intensive industries that require a lot of expertise.

Thus it becomes necessary to start the process of training professionals in the oil and gas industries. Sending students abroad to advanced institutions to study petroleum and gas exploration courses would be a step in the right direction.

More so, introducing such courses in our institutions of higher learning would go a long way in developing the necessary expertise in such fields.

In the short term, it will be necessary to have foreign professionals doing most of the work in the mining sector. This should be a remedial measure as local capacity is being developed in this very important sector, which has a major role in the process of national development.

One thing that is for sure, as noted in the past fifteen years, Rwandans are quick learners and they have the hunger to move on and catch up in many areas.

Therefore, investing in developing a capable human resource willing to return and practice what it learnt will not be in vain. Hopefully, the Minister’s call will be heeded by potential investors.

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