In this video, Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, urged African leaders to verify the true intentions of multilateral lending institutions towards the continent. He asked African leaders to “audit the intentions of the World Bank loans to ensure that they are for prosperity rather than profiteering”. He added: “What loans are we getting as Africa? Is the World Bank giving us loans for private sector-led growth or to be more dependent?”

“Our populations are increasing, but our economies are stunted. The International Development Association (IDA) should tell us why they are funding the modern slavery of Africans, and we should address issues like why Africa is producing what it does not consume and consuming what it does not produce”, the Ugandan leader stated.

Uganda under Museveni is known to have been in the bad books of multilateral bodies, the most recent being the fallout of his decision to accent to strong anti-LGBTQ laws which resulted in sanctions from both the World Bank, IMF and other international bodies.

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In this video, the Managing Director of Rwanda’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Crystal Rugege, speaks on the country’s frontier role in technological revolution through Artificial Intelligence.

In an interview with IMF-Africa, Rugege revealed that the country chose digital infrastructure as one of its areas of national focus given its difficult past that now required deliberate nation-building.

“What we have seen now in terms of Rwanda’s readiness for the AI revolution is the result of those investments. Now we have 97% broadband coverage, they have invested in attracting world-class institutions like universities offering AI master degrees, and they have deployed thousands of digital ambassadors to meet people at the bottom of the pyramid to share the basic digital literacy to participate in the Ai economy,” she said.

When the Rwandan government released the National Artificial Intelligence Policy for the Republic of Rwanda in 2023, it was meant to help the East African country use AI to its full potential while also reducing its risks. Using the goals of Vision 2050, the Smart Rwanda Master Plan, and other important national plans and policies as a foundation, it gives Rwanda the tools it needs to use AI for growth that benefits everyone.

She, however, admitted that Rwanda was far from perfection in its digital journey as the exercise was a “process”. She added that other African countries needed to unlock access to public data in a structured and protected manner to encourage young innovators in the digital space.

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