Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente is set to present the government’s Second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), to a joint session of Parliament, on September 9. This comes after the first Cabinet meeting, on August 23, approved the new national strategy for transformation which will guide government activities in President Paul Kagame’s five-year term. The NST2, covering the period from 2024 to 2029 sets out a comprehensive roadmap for Rwanda’s development over the next five years. It outlines key priorities for national development and government action, focusing on five main areas: creating decent and productive jobs, boosting exports, enhancing public service delivery, improving the quality of education, and reducing stunting and malnutrition. ALSO READ: Unpacking Rwanda’s five-year development strategy: Here are the 14 goals The programme that succeeds the seven-year NST1, beyond five key priorities has 14 goals – aimed at driving the country’s growth – including modernizing agriculture, with a target of over 6 percent annual growth, focusing on making the sector more market-oriented and sustainable. Another key goal is job creation, with NST2 aiming to generate 1.25 million productive and decent jobs over five years, translating to 250,000 new jobs annually. Private investment growth is also a priority. The government plans to double it from $2.2 billion in 2023 to $4.6 billion by 2029, under the open for business goal. This aligns with the “Made in Rwanda” campaign, which is also among the goals expected to position the country as a hub for high-quality, locally produced goods through significant investments in agriculture, manufacturing, and services. These initiatives are expected to encourage the economy and create more employment opportunities. ALSO READ: NST1: How has Rwanda fared in achieving seven-year plan? In the education, NST2 emphasizes early childhood education, aiming to increase pre-primary enrolment from 35 percent to 65 percent. This underscores Rwanda’s commitment to building a strong foundation for lifelong learning. To address workforce needs, eight Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centers of Excellence will be established, offering training in high-demand skills aligned with market requirements, equipping Rwandans for the job market, and fostering economic growth. In healthcare, the government plans to expand access to quality services by quadrupling the number of registered health workers and improving maternal, child, and infant health services. Effort will also be made to combat malnutrition, to reduce the stunting rate from 33 percent to 15 percent as part of broader efforts to improve public health outcomes.
