Publication

UNCDF Rwanda Inclusive Digital Economies (IDE) Strategy 2022 – 2025

  • November 14, 2022

Summary

As Rwanda continues its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic shocks and lockdowns that accompanied this global disaster, UNCDF Rwanda has put in place a forward-thinking countrywide strategy to support the Government of Rwanda (GoR) in returning to the levels of progress experienced pre-COVID. The 2022-2025 strategy draws on lessons learned from the past in Rwanda and glob­ally and looks to the future by incorporating the objectives of the GoR in becoming a middle-income country by 2035, and a high-income country by 2050, as well as by emphasizing the achievement of the SDGs. It moves past a focus on only financial and digital inclusion to a more holistic financial health approach.


The programme outlined in the strategy is centered on ensuring more productive and healthy lives for women, youth, and other marginalized populations, and relying on digital solutions where they have the most potential to be rel­evant and beneficial. It also focuses on the development of the private sector as the engine to advance the country’s economic growth.

The country strategy for UNCDF’s Inclusive Digital Economies (IDE) practice area envisions an inclusive, middle income, green and digital economy in Rwanda that leaves no one behind by leveraging digital and innovative financing solutions for wom­en, youth, and smallholder farmers’ economic empowerment. The strategy is built upon the following pillars:

1. Contribute to the improvement of Customer-centric Digital Solutions for Financial Health and Resilience among vulnerable populations with a special focus on women, youth, and smallholder farmers.

2. Promote an Inclusive Green Economy that reduces the vulnerability of local communities to climate change and lead to the sustainable use of resources.

3. Promote partnerships and Innovative solutions to advance Entrepreneurship and Employment Readiness for Youth with a particular focus on TVET students and graduates.

4. Support Research and Policy initiatives that enable the development and deployment of inclusive digital and financial solutions.