In Africa, digital transformation is accelerating across all countries. However, some countries are more focused on quickly achieving their digital goals than others. In Rwanda for instance, the government is hard at work to complete some of its digital projects by 2024. 

The Rwandan government will soon launch a unique digital identification system (SDID) and deploy 5th generation (5G) technology in the country. Rwanda's Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, confirmed this recently in a podcast produced by the private Rwandan newspaper, The New Times.

"We’ll start very soon with what we call the pre-enrolment phase which is about enrolling citizens and getting their biometrics. The current ID that we have is given only to people who are 16 years and above, but we’ll provide the digital ID from birth. That’s one exciting aspect of the digital ID," she said.

The new system, which is currently being rolled out, is financed to the tune of $40 million by the World Bank. It will be based on a national population register containing the biographical and biometric data of all Rwandan citizens, including those from the diaspora and foreigners living in the country.

During the same broadcast, the Minister also mentioned that the first 5G tests were recently successfully carried out in the country from the stratosphere using a prototype unmanned aerial vehicle (HAPS). During the test, 5G connectivity was provided for around 73 minutes at a maximum altitude of 16.9 km, ts2.space reveals. These ongoing initiatives, among others, are part of the Rwandan government's commitment to enhancing public service delivery across diverse sectors. They aim to expand internet accessibility across the nation, encompassing even remote rural communities, and providing an identity to every citizen. 

Samira Njoya