Rwanda Blockchain School to Launch in 2020 for Devs, Professionals

By Marie Huillet

The Africa Blockchain Institute (ABI) will open Rwanda’s ostensibly first blockchain school in 2020, offering five new courses for local developers, professionals and policymakers.

In an interview with Cointelegraph on Dec. 26, ABI Executive Director, Kayode Babarinde, revealed that the new school has five key courses in the pipeline: a blockchain essentials certification course, a blockchain developers’ course, an enterprise blockchain course, blockchain for lawyers and blockchain for impact.

Groundwork laid in Ghana

Babarinde told Cointelegraph that the ABI laid the foundation for its work in Rwanda by running a pilot phase for the school in Ghana, where it launched the inaugural class for a blockchain essentials certification course. 

While the five course areas had already been broadly sketched out ahead of the pilot in Ghana, the school’s curriculum has now been rehauled and updated on the basis of the responses and experiences of course participants.

Babarinde said that the support and cooperation of the Blockchain DLT Rwanda Association, and its chairman, Norbert Haguma, has been a key factor in its decision to launch the school in the country. 

More broadly, he characterized the local context as being highly conducive for investments in new technologies:

“Every technology company is looking for an enabling environment to serve the continent. This means supportive policies, resource management, and visibility for the market. All these make Rwanda stand out in Africa.”

While noting the need to foster the development of blockchain implementations locally, Babarinde said this should not imply an aversion to cooperating with overseas initiatives in the sector.  

As an emerging technology with a still growing community, international collaboration and partnerships remain key to sustaining the adoption of blockchain across the continent, he said.

Regulatory cooperation

Alongside education, part of the ABI’s core activities is the development of recommendations for strengthening Africa’s regulatory framework for blockchain and cryptocurrencies, in close cooperation with the Blockchain DLT Rwanda Association.

Babarinde noted that a robust regulatory framework will be key to reducing the traction of cryptocurrency-related scams, alluding to recent “unsolicited activities” in East Africa. Earlier this month, the blockchain associations of Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya issued a joint statement warning the public against these risks.

This summer, the president of Uganda officiated the 2019 Africa Blockchain Conference, where he identified agriculture, manufacturing and processing, services, and ICT sectors as key economic areas that stand to benefit from the technology’s implementation.

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Saudi Fund for Development Signs Loan Agreement With Burundi Government to Upgrade Major Road Link

Dr. Khaled bin Sulaiman Al Khudairy, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Saudi Fund for Development (left) and Mr. Domicien Ndihokubwayo, the Minister of Finance (right) for Burundi sign the new loan agreement. (Photo : AETOSWire)

GITEGA, Burundi--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) recently signed a loan agreement worth $5.9million with the Burundi Government to upgrade a major road connection between the city of Bujumbura and the country’s airport. The Arabic Bank (BADEA) and the Burundi Government are co-contributors towards the project.

It is the latest in an ongoing program of developments the SFD has supported in Burundi including transport, education and housing, and comes under Burundi’s 2045 development plan to establish the nation as an attractive economic and tourism destination.

The Bujumbura road project will include a road widening scheme and upgraded airport entrance.

The Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the SFD, Dr. Khaled bin Sulaiman Al Khudairy led a delegation from the Fund on a visit to Burundi and signed the agreement with Burundi Minister of Finance Domicien Ndihokubwayo, and in the presence of the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Jean Bosco Ntunzwenimana and General Manager of the Roads Agency Mr. Emile Ndayisaba.

Dr. Al Khudairy said, “The SFD and Government of Burundi have worked together over many years in a series of successful development projects. By providing loans, the Saudi Fund for Development aims to promote economic prosperity within developing countries. Schemes like this road upgrading bring real and tangible benefits to people and communities in need. The improvement in the road network will provide a long term sustainable impact for Burundi’s economy and its three million population by improving the movement of goods and people. The loan also marks the latest in a commitment by the SFD to work in nations throughout Africa and improve life opportunities for those in developing nations.”

To date, the SFD has contributed to a total of 13 development projects in Burundi which include infrastructure and educational projects. The SFD is one of Africa’s largest contributors to sustainable development aid, promoting stability and prosperity to the region since 1975, and has contributed financial assistance to more than 400 development projects in 46 African countries. The SFD is aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and its goals of building prosperity and providing socio-economic support to developing nations.

*Source: AETOSWire

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