For the growth of the creative economy, Rwanda is prioritizing four areas of investments and cultural development, including capacity-building, infrastructure, funding, and collaboration, Sandrine Umutoni, the state minister for youth and arts, has said. ALSO READ: How Rwanda’s creative industry evolved over the past 30 years The minister was speaking during the ministerial roundtable at Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND) 2024, a flagship initiative by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) that seeks to promote the cultural and creative industries in Africa at global scenes. The four-day forum themed “One People, United in Culture, creating for the world” brought together leading figures from the worlds of visual art, music, cinema, film, fashion, and gastronomy in Algeria, from October 16 to 19. Umutoni reiterated Rwanda’s commitment to align national efforts with continental frameworks such as Africa Union’s agenda 2063 for protection of economic and legal rights of artistes and cultural entrepreneurs while facilitating exports of creative products. As Rwanda moves towards setting the right economic and legal framework, she highlighted four areas of focus including capacity-building, infrastructure, funding and collaboration. ALSO READ: New policy to commercialise Rwanda’s creative industry “We need to build the capacity of those who make the entire ecosystem of the creative industry such as the cultural managers who need to be trained with proper negotiations to protect the rights of artistes, the technicians who make the performance so much more enjoyable, the lawyers who are proficient in intellectual property regulations and negotiations, among others.” Infrastructure, she noted, will contribute to the growth of cultural tourism by allowing creatives to present their work in a conducive environment and for the next generation of creatives to set new trends. Umutoni rooted for the establishment of collaboration frameworks that allow the countries’ respective creative economies to work with one another with less bureaucratic process, hence, encouraging the free flow of people, ideas, and products within the continent. “We believe that this investment will not only catalyze the growth of Rwanda’s creative sector but also enhance Rwanda’s capacity to drive continental and international opportunities aligning with strategic objectives of the AU.” Kanayo Awani, the Executive Vice President of Intra Africa Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, said CANEX WKND is a global platform for celebrating African creativity, its young and dynamic talents, innovation and drive. Awani said: “We see enormous opportunities for the creative industry's growth because, globally, the creative industry is fast becoming a potent economic force across most economies and it is our firm belief that the CANEX initiative represents a powerful medium to realise Aspiration Five of Africa’s Agenda 2063.” Afreximbank announced that it has increased the funding allocated to the creative industry to $1 billion from the $500 million announced in 2022, due to the growing demand for financing in the industry, across film, music, visual arts, fashion, and sports. If well-regulated and empowered, the creative industry is believed to contribute a big sum to the country's GDP over the next years. In Rwanda, different disciplines comprising the creative sector such as fashion, filmmaking, and visual arts, are on a thriving path, which was not the case before the past 30 years. The past three decades have seen a significant improvement in infrastructure supporting the music industry, from the proliferation of high-speed internet connectivity to the establishment of world-class concert halls like the state-of-the-art BK Arena, Amahoro Stadium, Intare Conference Arena, and Kigali Conference and Exhibition (KCEV), formerly Camp Kigali, among others. The high level of understanding between the government and artistes has paved the way for innovative projects and initiatives that celebrate Rwanda's rich cultural and musical heritage.
