Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente on November 28 met with the British High Commissioner to Rwanda, Alison Thorpe, for talks on how to further enhance UK-Rwanda partnership in various sectors, including education. Their discussion also covered bilateral ties in social protection, government reforms, and agriculture. ALSO READ: We see real rhythm of development to partner with Rwanda - UK envoy Thorpe described the meeting as an opportunity to reinforce the already robust UK-Rwanda relationship, which has flourished for many years. “We talked about the priorities under the National Strategy for Transformation 2 (NST2) and how the UK can support these efforts, particularly in education, social protection, reforming government institutions, and agriculture,” Thorpe said. She emphasised the shared interest in promoting culture, arts, and sports, particularly through engaging Rwandan youth in the creative industry. Supporting education and social protection Thorpe also outlined how the UK intends to support Rwanda in achieving its goals in education and social protection. “We already have programmes run through the British High Commission that focus on strengthening education, social protection, and public institutions. A new programme is set to launch soon, aimed at helping primary school children who are at risk of dropping out, including girls and children with disabilities or special educational needs,” she stated. The programme will address school infrastructure challenges, ensuring sufficient teachers, classrooms, and learning materials to support students’ retention and success. Strengthening bilateral relations Thorpe reaffirmed the commitment of the new UK government to maintaining bilateral ties with Rwanda. “It’s a very strong relationship. Both the UK and Rwandan governments share the same key priority: economic growth. To achieve this, we need a solid education sector, a strong economy, and effective trade and investment. Working together will only make us stronger,” she stated. Thorpe expressed assurance about the continued collaboration between the two nations, noting their mutual commitment to achieving shared development goals.
