allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Rwanda - Rising From the Ashes (Page 1 of 2)

Since my return from Kigali last weekend where I went to observe the acquisition of 35 percent stake in SONARWA, Rwanda's leading insurance firm, by IGI Nigeria Limited, many colleagues and associates have been asking what my experience was.

Most of those asking the question usually posed it in a manner that seemed to suggest they already had a preconceived answer they are expecting from me. I had a feeling those in this category expected that I would give gory tales of how I saw a nation in ruins.

I do not blame these friends who expected the worst tales from Rwanda. The Central African nation came to world consciousness in 1994 when foreign media showed footages of merciless internecine killings between the Hutus and Tutsis in the country. Then TIME Magazine reported that the devils in hell have not only relocated to Rwanda, they have also taken the hell along with them to that country. But that was 14 years ago. Today the Rwandans under a new leadership have decided to rebuild their country and make it the economic hub of Central African region. As one of the publications of the Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA) stated, "Tragedy has surrendered to optimism and a firm determination to succeed. Strong political leadership driving a vision of a better future has firmly liberated the country from the shackles of the 1994 nightmare and crafted a roadmap for the reconstruction of the country's social, economic and political fabric."

From the airport, my anxiety about what to meet in Kigali was very high. The airport was a modest one. It evoked memories of the Enugu airport in Nigeria. Not busy by international standard. The immigration officials were the first Rwandans myself and the three others in my party met. In their not too fluent English, they made it known that we needed to pay 60 US dollars to obtain entry visa since we did not get one before leaving Lagos. It was the first indication of the visitor-friendly regime that the Rwandans are putting in place to make it easy for investors to visit their country without any hassle. A visitor only needs to fill the visa form on-line and send it. He can then print out the filled form and the acknowledgement letter which would be send on line a few hours after the form is received by the immigration department. With the two papers, he can proceed to Kigali and pay at the entry point.

After airport formalities which in any case were very brief, one was in a hurry to see what Kigali look like after the horrendous event of 1994 in which one million citizens were cruelly slaughtered by their fellow citizens for ethno-economic reasons. But Kigali is today a disappointment for those who define Rwanda with that past event. A hilly city whose topography reminded me of my Abeokuta homestead, it is also landlocked and therefore posed some unique challenges in terms of beautification and development. First, the rocky nature of the terrain has been used as a natural incentive to build smooth and well-tarred roads which traverse the city and enhance its total beauty. The medians and sidewalks are decorated with flowers which are defying the harsh nature of the ground and blossoming. The streets are very neat. The flowers are well tendered while there are workers engaged to sweep the streets twice a day.

Hardly can one sight a road which is not well tarred and maintained. In terms of road network in Kigali, the Rwandans have done so well for themselves. Yet, they are seriously battling with erosion which is threatening the roads. But their response is to build solid drainage system paved with stones. There also appears a deliberate attempt to display the cohabitation of modern and ancient civilisation. In many areas of the state capital, modern buildings co-exist with ancient but good looking ones. Also, many beautiful buildings around town were built with burnt or mud bricks.

The city is dotted with many skyscrapers, all of which are owned by multi national businesses. It equally has top class hotels like the Kigali Serena Hotel which can conveniently compete with our own Lagos Sheraton Hotel and Transcorp-Hilton Hotel. The Serena Hotel provides wireless internet connectivity right from its reception. Other leading hotels in Kigali are Mille Collines Hotel which is close to the Source du Nil Golf Club and Novotel Kigali Umubano located in-between the city centre and the airport. During my four-day stay in Kigali, it was very difficult securing rooms in most of these hotels due to influx of tourists and investors.

Kigali also has avant garde restaurant like Kigali Serena's Diplomat Restaurant with most of the interior given a natural African setting. It is usually patronised by high class visitors and locales. Bourbon Café, Chez Robert, Indian Khazana, La Republica and Shanghai are equally good restaurants, brimming with people every night.

One way the Rwandans have sought to reassure themselves that never again would they allow insecurity to further drag them down is by ensuring that the streets of Kigali are safe for all to move about round the clock. The clubs in hotels and other relaxation spots are filled with people till very early in the morning everyday. Even, the RIEPA boasts that the government and the people, having realised that to attract investments from home and abroad, personal security must be ensured, the government has ensured that "Kigali, the capital, is one of the safest and secure cities in Africa". RIEPA continues that "Across the whole country, the current crime rates are negligible, corruption is literally non-existent, internal peace and stability are real".

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