Nigeria is home away from home – Rwandan envoy
The Republic of Rwanda is a country in central and east Africa. It is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda attracted much international attention as a result since the war and genocide of 1994. It is an ac
Daily Trust: NigeriaRwanda relations were strengthened with the signing of the General Agreement on Bilateral Cooperation in 2011. Six years on, how would you assess the relations?
Mr Stanislas Kamanzi: The General Agreement on Bilateral Cooperation was a formalization of an already exiting strong diplomatic relations between our two countries long ago. The agreement was an important step in sealing those relations, which also saw the establishment of resident diplomatic missions both in Abuja and Kigali. It has significantly contributed to increased interface between Nigerians and Rwandans, from all perspectives.
Daily Trust: Which area of cooperation do you plan to improve?
Kamanzi: So far, cooperation has been focusing on exchanges in institutional capacity building and knowledge and expertise in various areas such as education, security and peace keeping, good governance, communication technology, health and air transport. All that is needed at this stage is consolidation and upscale, where relevant. Needless to mention that healthy bilateral cooperation lays grounds for investment to thrive in either country. This has been the case with investors from Nigeria starting off business in Rwanda, especially in banking, insurance and communication services. We want this to grow bigger and be extended to sectors like energy, housing, manufacture, hospitality and tourism industry, agro industry, and more.
Daily Trust: Africa has the lowest volume of intracontinental trading in the world with its members posting just 12% of trading with one another.
What do you think should be done to improve intra-Africa trade?
Kamanzi: It is unfortunate and unacceptable that intracontinental trading remains so insignificant. No wonder socioeconomic development has been progressing on a slow pace. Yet, successful regional initiatives in that connection testify to the evident quick wins that would contribute to the transformation of the continental economic systems in an integrated manner, positively trickling down to each individual African country. Now, what should be done? The political and infrastructural factors to make it happen have to be properly set. Regional integration has to go the extramile beyond rhetoric, and appropriate instruments and institutions have to be put in place or streamlined to create the right environment for trans-Africa trade networks to formally build up and operate. Setting physical infrastructure to support and facilitate trade, especially transport, energy and communication is essential as well.
The current status is that Africa is inaccessible by Africans be it by air, land or waterways. Mobility of goods and persons is minimal, costly and time consuming. Power to boost manufacture and other productive sectors is insufficient or costly in many parts of Africa, despite the bountiful untapped resources for power generation many individual countries are endowed with that can serve the whole continent in a winwin fashion, if commensurate investment was to be collaboratively undertaken.
Concerning communication, despite the good strides made in mobile connectivity on the continent, there is more to be done towards reducing involved costs, taking advantage of economies of scale and new technologies, along the “Smart Africa” contemplated objectives.
Intra Africa trade implies competitiveness with global markets, and the above highlighted bottlenecks and others need to be removed for that to happen.
Daily Trust: The Nigerian government has emphasised on diversifying the economy away from over-reliance on oil. Is there any role Rwanda can play in this effort? Kamanzi: This is a matter of national preserve, as far as shaping the best economic development framework a country decides to embrace. Rwanda sincerely commends the important move Nigeria has taken to tap all the resources available to strengthen and weatherproof the economic systems of the country and Nigeria has all it takes to succeed in that undertaking.
Daily Trust: Having been in
The current status is that Africa is inaccessible by Africans be it by air, land or waterways. Mobility of goods and persons is minimal, costly and time consuming
Nigeria for some time, what do you think about Nigerians?
Nigerians are great, creative people, very hospitable, engaging and true Africans. You feel at home away from home!
Daily Trust: What would you want to leave behind in Nigeria?
Kamanzi: I would like to be remembered as an ambassador who accomplished his duties to the utmost satisfaction of our two peoples and who would have created bonds with as many good people as possible.