from PHYLLIS BIRORI in Kigali, Rwanda
Rwanda Bureau
KIGALI, (CAJ News) – RWANDA is putting youth at the forefront of internet governance in the East African country.
It has just concluded the first-ever Rwanda Youth Internet Governance Forum to kickstart such ambitions.
Stakeholders drawn from government, the private sector and civil society as well as the youth from universities across the country participated at the event held at the University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK) in the capital city.
Grace Ingabire, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Internet Community and Technology Alliance (RICTA), noted, “Over 70 percent of Rwanda’s population is under 35.”
“As youth, you are not just participants, you are the heart of our transformation journey. It is time to step up, stay informed, and lead with purpose,” she said in her address on Monday.
RICTA, which manages the .RW country code top-level domain, organised the forum held under the theme, “Building Digital Governance Together: Youth at the Centre.”
Officials from the Data Protection and Privacy Office (DPO) and Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA) also encouraged the youth.
“Youth must embrace innovation and understand their responsibility in shaping Rwanda’s digital governance. They are not the future. They are now,” said Josephine Nyiranzeyimana, Government Chief Information Officer at RISA.
The event in Kigali is the precursor to the Rwanda Internet Government Forum this Thursday, also in the capital.
It will be held under the theme, “Building Digital Governance Together.”
Internet governance encompasses the development and application of shared principles, norms, and rules that shape the internet’s evolution and use.
Rwanda is recognised as an internet pioneer, particularly in its efforts to connect schools and improve overall internet access, especially in Africa.
– CAJ News