How NST2 will propel Rwanda into a middle-income country

Author: Lindah Uwase

• 2024-09-14 05:43:00

Rwanda's capital city, Kigali.

The Rwandan government approved the second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), a comprehensive and forward-looking five-year plan that will run until the end of 2029. Approved on August 23, this strategy charts a bold new course for Rwanda's continued development, with the ultimate goal of achieving middle-income status by 2035 and high-income status by 2050.

NST2 is anchored on several key priorities, including the creation of decent and productive employment opportunities, boosting Rwanda's exports, enhancing education quality, reducing stunting and malnutrition rates, and improving public service delivery.

For Rwanda’s development trajectory, this policy document serves as a roadmap outlining the nation's vision, addressing current challenges, and exploiting available opportunities to secure a prosperous future.

The first agenda of NST2 is the transformation of Rwanda's agricultural sector, increase agricultural productivity by 50%, a goal to be achieved through several key initiatives. This will be crucial for national food security and economic growth, employment generation, and poverty reduction in rural areas.

The strategy aims to achieve a challenging target of rebalancing the agricultural sector to grow by over six per cent annually, making it more market-oriented, sustainable, and productive.

At the core of NST2 is an ambitious goal: to create 2.5 million productive and decent job opportunities over the next five years. This commitment, part of the government's effort to address unemployment—particularly among the youth and women—translates to the creation of 500,000 new jobs annually.

Each of these jobs will be designed to offer not only income but also opportunities for personal growth, career advancement, and self-actualization.

To achieve this, NST2 will leverage Rwanda’s strengths in key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and services while also diversifying into high-tech areas like technology and renewable energy. A significant focus will be placed on attracting greater private sector investment, which is vital for development, value addition, and job creation. The strategy sets an ambitious goal of increasing private sector investment in infrastructure from $2 billion in 2023 to an impressive $4 billion by 2029.

NST2 also aims to significantly boost Rwanda's exports, targeting export levels exceeding $3.3 billion within the same period. The strategy envisions Rwanda becoming a hub for high-quality "Made in Rwanda" products, reducing dependency on imports and strengthening the country’s industrial base.

Education is another cornerstone of Rwanda's development framework, and NST2 seeks to promote significant improvements across all educational sectors, especially early childhood education. The strategy aims to raise pre-primary net enrollment to 65 per cent by 2029, recognizing that quality early education is crucial for lifelong learning and achievement.

As proposed in NST2, Rwanda will be ready to stand and be counted among the global digital economy with the prowess to not only innovate but also create employment opportunities. This will in return help boosting the overall economic development of the country and making sure that Rwanda continues to be in the vanguard of technological.

In summary, NST2 is poised to be a transformative blueprint for Rwanda, guiding the nation toward its vision of achieving middle-income status by 2035.

Through strategic investments in agriculture, education, technology, and private sector growth, Rwanda is laying the foundation for sustainable development and economic resilience.

By harnessing available opportunities, NST2 aims not only to improve the livelihoods of Rwandans but also to position the country as a competitive player in the global economy, ensuring a prosperous future for all.