Women farmers, other delegates study Rwanda’s reconciliation, governance model in Kigali

A Nigerian delegation participating in an international training programme organised by Bayero University, Kano’s strategic partner, Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), in collaboration with Prospects Development Services (PDS-UK), has examined Rwanda’s post-genocide reconciliation, governance and digital transformation models.

The delegation, comprising policymakers, academics, chief executives, media professionals, teachers and other professionals, made the assessment during the second day of its study visit to Kigali.

The participants visited the Rwanda Cooperation Initiative (RCI), where they examined Rwanda’s experience of rebuilding national cohesion following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

The training, titled “Strategic Communication: Integrating Digital and AI-Driven Innovation for Sustainable Leadership and Peacebuilding,” is designed to expose Nigerian participants to Rwanda’s approaches to mindset change, inclusive governance, strategic communication and post-conflict reconstruction.

Officials of Rwanda’s Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE) briefed the delegation on policies and institutions established to promote national unity and prevent a recurrence of genocide.

They identified justice reforms, inclusive governance, a shared national identity, citizenship education and efforts to prevent genocide ideology as key elements of Rwanda’s transformation.

The officials also highlighted programmes such as Ndi Umunyarwanda, Itorero civic education, community dialogue initiatives and the Gacaca courts as mechanisms used to rebuild trust and strengthen social cohesion.

Speaking during the engagement, the Unity and Social Cohesion Promotion Analyst at MINUBUMWE, Donatien Nikuze, attributed Rwanda’s progress to political will, inclusive leadership and sustained investment in peacebuilding and good governance.

Nikuze said Rwanda recorded a 95.3 per cent National Unity Barometer score in 2025, while noting that the country still faces challenges, including genocide ideology, hate speech, trauma and the pursuit of genocide fugitives.

He urged the Nigerian delegation to study Rwanda’s experience and adapt practical lessons to Nigeria’s socio-political and institutional realities.

Welcoming the delegation, the Chief Executive Officer of RCI, Richard Niwenshuti, said Rwanda’s recovery had been anchored on three principles: moving beyond the country’s darkest chapter, enforcing institutional accountability and thinking at scale.

He said the reforms had contributed to improvements in social services and digital governance.

Niwenshuti cited about 92 per cent health insurance coverage, universal access to primary and secondary education, and the digitisation of more than 240 public services through the Irembo platform as some of the outcomes of the reforms.

The participants also received presentations on Rwanda’s governance architecture, decentralisation, coordination and accountability systems, as well as its digital transformation agenda.

The presentations were delivered by officials from MINUBUMWE, the Ministry of Justice (MINIJUST), the Ministry of ICT and Innovation and the Rwanda Information Society Authority.

In a goodwill message delivered on behalf of Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ambassador Ibrahim Zanna, the Nigeria High Commission urged the participants to translate lessons from the study visit into practical reforms that could strengthen institutions in Nigeria.

The mission described the programme as a practical demonstration of how strategic communication, digital innovation and sustainable leadership could contribute to national development.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening institutional partnerships between Nigeria and Rwanda.

Founder and Global Advocate of WOFAN, Hajia Dr Salamatu Garba, commended RCI for sharing Rwanda’s experiences and lessons with the Nigerian delegation.

Garba said several of the challenges discussed during the engagement were similar to those confronting Nigeria, stressing the need for mindset change, accountability, policy reform and responsible followership to achieve sustainable development.

She explained that teachers were deliberately included in the delegation so that lessons from the study visit could be passed on to younger generations.

Garba expressed optimism that continued collaboration between WOFAN, the Nigeria High Commission and RCI Rwanda would help translate the knowledge gained from the visit into practical policy actions and sustainable strategies.

She said such strategies should be implemented “step by step” to achieve positive and impactful results.

The vote of thanks was delivered on behalf of the participants by a WOFAN Technical Board member, Professor Mahmoud Daneji.

Daneji appreciated RCI, the facilitators, the Nigeria High Commission, PDS-UK, WOFAN and the delegates for what he described as a successful second-day engagement.

The Kigali study visit is part of the broader international training programme focused on strengthening participants’ understanding of strategic communication, digital and artificial intelligence-driven innovation, sustainable leadership and peacebuilding.