The African Development Bank Group launched its 2026 Country Focus Report on Rwanda, which calls for the more effective mobilisation of the country's financial, human, natural and business capital to accelerate inclusive growth and advance its development goals.
The report, titled, "Mobilizing Rwanda's Development Financing at Scale in a Fragmented World,"is Rwanda's country-level companion to the African Development Bank's flagship African Economic Outlook launched in May 2026, and the East Africa Economic Outlook launched in August 2026, which both carry the same theme.
The report recognizes Rwanda's significant socio-economic progress, supported by sound macroeconomic management, institutional reforms and sustained investment. It also identifies opportunities to strengthen domestic resource mobilization and unlock greater value from the country's financial, human, natural and business capital.
The launch event, held 06 September, brought together senior government officials, development partners, private sector representatives, financial institutions, academia, civil society and the media to discuss the report's findings and their implications for Rwanda's development agenda.
Speaking, Aissa Touré Sarr, the Bank's Rwanda Country Manager, said the report provides an important evidence base for policy dialogue and investment decisions.
"Rwanda has demonstrated its capacity to translate sound policies, strong institutions and strategic investment into meaningful development progress," she said. "The next phase will require us to mobilise more capital and ensure that it works harder and more effectively for Rwanda's transformation."
Key priorities highlighted in the report include broadening the tax base, improving tax compliance, deepening financial markets and inclusion, expanding innovative financing and public-private partnerships, and attracting long-term investment through the Kigali International Financial Centre. The report also calls for greater investment in education and health, stronger support for small and medium-sized enterprises, increased value addition across productive sectors, and improved management of Rwanda's natural capital.
Delivering the keynote address, Judith Nabasa, Chief Economist at Rwanda's Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, emphasised the importance of strengthening Rwanda's financial ecosystem and attracting long-term investment.
"Rwanda's development ambitions require innovative approaches to mobilising and deploying capital. Strengthening financial markets, attracting long-term investment and deepening public-private partnerships will be critical to financing the next phase of Rwanda's transformation," Nabasa said.
The launch provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss practical measures for translating the report's recommendations into action.
The African Development Bank Group is a longstanding development partner of Rwanda, supporting investments and policy reforms across energy, water and sanitation, transport, agriculture, human capital, finance and private sector development. Through financing, policy dialogue, technical assistance and knowledge generation, the Bank continues to support Rwandas National Strategy for Transformation (NST 2) and Vision 2050.
