Women Farmers, PDS Study Rwanda’s Reforms For Nigerian Policy Lessons

The Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), in collaboration with Prospects Development Services (PDS)-UK, has taken policymakers and professionals to Rwanda to study how the country rebuilt national cohesion, strengthened governance and accelerated digital transformation after the 1994 genocide.

The study visit, organised under a strategic international training programme by Bayero University, Kano’s strategic partner, WOFAN, brought together policymakers, academics, chief executives, media professionals, teachers and other professionals.

The delegation visited the Rwanda Cooperation Initiative (RCI), where participants examined institutions and policies that have shaped Rwanda’s post-conflict recovery.

The training, titled “Strategic Communication: Integrating Digital and AI-Driven Innovation for Sustainable Leadership and Peacebuilding,” seeks to expose Nigerian participants to Rwanda’s approaches to mindset change, inclusive governance, strategic communication and sustainable peacebuilding.

In a statement,WOFAN said officials of Rwanda’s Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE) explained that national identity and measures against genocide ideology have been used to promote unity and prevent a recurrence of mass violence.

The delegation was also introduced to programmes such as Ndi Umunyarwanda, Itorero civic education, community dialogue initiatives and the Gacaca courts, which officials said contributed to rebuilding trust and strengthening social cohesion.

Unity and Social Cohesion Promotion Analyst at MINUBUMWE, Donatien Nikuze, attributed Rwanda’s progress to political will, inclusive leadership and sustained investment in peacebuilding and good governance.

Nikuze said Rwanda recorded a 95.3 per cent National Unity Barometer score in 2025, although he acknowledged continuing challenges, including genocide ideology, hate speech, trauma and efforts to bring genocide fugitives to justice.

He urged the Nigerian participants to adapt relevant lessons from Rwanda’s experience to Nigeria’s own political, social and institutional circumstances rather than attempting to replicate the model wholesale.

RCI Chief Executive Officer, Richard Niwenshuti, said Rwanda’s recovery was anchored on three principles: moving beyond its darkest chapter, enforcing institutional accountability and thinking at scale.

He said the reforms had produced significant improvements in social services and digital governance, citing about 92 per cent health insurance coverage, universal access to primary and secondary education and the digitisation of more than 240 public services through the Irembo platform.

The participants also received briefings on Rwanda’s governance structure, decentralisation, coordination and accountability systems, as well as the country’s digital transformation strategy. Officials from MINUBUMWE, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of ICT and Innovation and the Rwanda Information Society Authority delivered presentations.

In a goodwill message on behalf of Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ambassador Ibrahim Zanna, the Nigeria High Commission urged participants to convert lessons from the study tour into practical reforms capable of strengthening Nigerian institutions.

The mission described the programme as an example of how strategic communication, digital innovation and sustainable leadership could support national development and reaffirmed its commitment to deepening institutional cooperation between Nigeria and Rwanda.

Founder and Global Advocate of WOFAN, Dr Salamatu Garba, commended RCI for sharing Rwanda’s experiences with the delegation. She said teachers were deliberately included to help transmit lessons from the programme to younger generations.

Garba said several challenges discussed during the engagement were similar to those facing Nigeria, stressing the need for mindset change, accountability, policy reform and responsible followership.

She expressed optimism that collaboration among WOFAN, the Nigeria High Commission and RCI would translate the knowledge gained into practical policy actions, to be implemented “step by step”.

WOFAN Technical Board member, Professor Mahmoud Daneji, delivered the vote of thanks, appreciating RCI, the facilitators, Nigeria High Commission, PDS-UK, WOFAN and delegates for what he described as a successful engagement.

The Kigali study visit forms part of the broader international training programme focused on strengthening participants’ understanding of strategic communication, digital and artificial intelligence-driven innovation, sustainable leadership and peacebuilding.