Kigali - Arriving for the World Economic Forum’s African meetings, which are being held in the Rwandan capital from May 11-13, it’s hard not to compare the experience with Davos in Switzerland, where the WEF’s main annual meeting is held every January.
Rolling green hills as far as the eye can see replace a snowy wonderland. The managed calm of Switzerland is replaced by a lovely, though quite contained, chaos on the streets of Kigali, with motorbike taxis dominating the scene.
The green hills, which almost encroach on the city from all sides, create the opposite of a claustrophobic city vibe, but a multitude of cranes is evidence of a city that is on the way up.
I am not surprised, but happy nonetheless, to report that Rwanda’s much-talked-about investment in ICT infrastructure is immediately obvious. I was still waiting in a queue to get a visa at Kigali Airport when my phone came to life, drawing my attention to the free connections available. A few clicks and I was hooked into the World Wide Web.
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I had spent an hour and a half in transit in Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport earlier in the day, which had caused me to slightly lower my expectations about Wi-Fi. The signal in Nairobi’s airport, going as “very strong” most of the time, gave me no joy at all for the hour I tried the entry-level test of sending WhatsApp messages.
Being plugged into the world as soon as I landed at Kigali Airport was reassuring. Good internet connectivity and wide access is an essential in today’s modern city, especially one hosting the WEF Africa meeting, which also happens to be focused on technology and development.
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The event will convene more than 1 200 participants from more than 70 countries under the theme “Connecting Africa’s Resources Through Digital Transformation”. Leaders from government, business, civil society, academia, media and the arts will take part in discussions exploring Africa’s prospects and priorities as the world enters the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Discussions in Kigali will pick up where the WEF’s annual Davos meeting in January, themed “Mastering The Fourth Industrial Revolution”, left off. According to the WEF, the Africa meeting will seek to identify priorities and actions for Africa’s leaders as they look to build economies that are able to flourish in the increasingly digital, convergent marketplaces of tomorrow.
ANA