Kagame urges donor-private sector alliance

President Paul Kagame yesterday called for closer collaboration between development partners and the private sector saying that such partnership is “excellent.”The President was speaking at the closing session of the Grow Africa Investment Forum held at the AU headquarters, as part of his trip to Ethiopia for the World Economic Forum.“Donor money is good. Private sector money is better. When they come together it is excellent,” Kagame said.“We must remember to mobilize and involve the youth and women in agricultural transformation. Our greatest asset is our people, we must build their skills and knowledge so that investment creates jobs and incomes.”The Grow Africa Investment Forum is a multi-country platform to promote agriculture and analyze private sector investment. It comprises 7 member countries; Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana and Burkina Faso.Organized by the World Economic Forum, the African Union Commission and the NEPAD Agency, the Grow Africa Forum was first held in Dar es Salaam in November 2011. This year it engaged 200 African and global leaders from the private sector, international organizations, farmers and development partners to reflect on outcomes presented by the Grow Africa countries.Rwanda’s agro-climatic conditions make the country attractive to agricultural investors.The Government has invested heavily over recent years to boost productivity and ensure food security, and thereby providing a strong platform for private sector activity.Specific constraints are being addressed to reduce any barriers to private sector investment and the government has identified growing regional and global markets for the diverse range of Rwandan produce.Rwanda being the third easiest country to conduct business in Africa, seeks to build partnerships with private investors as part of its vision to become to a destination for agri-business investment and serve as a business hub for the wider region.

National

Kagame urges donor-private sector alliance