President Paul Kagame has appointed Joseph Nsengimana minister of education, replacing Gaspard Twagirayezu who was reassigned to head the Rwanda Space Agency.
Nsengimana was one of three new cabinet members named on Wednesday. Nelly Mukazayire was also appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports.
Prior to joining government, Nsengimana was the Director at the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning, based in Kigali. The Centre works with policymakers, developers, researchers and other EdTech stakeholders to support the integration of technology in education in Africa.
He was the Executive Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion, Policy, Strategy and External Partnerships at Intel Corporation. He crafted and led the implementation of Intel’s Africa public policy and corporate affairs strategy. He also led the team responsible for government affairs, education, ICT and broadband policies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
As education minister, Nsengimana is expected to drive Rwanda’s education agenda which the United Nation described as “the cornerstone of the nation’s development aspirations.” Nsengimana will leverage his experience in working closely with education ministers and other stakeholders in using technology to transform their education systems.
Rwanda has a literacy rate of 71.4% and the highest net enrollment rate in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, its education sector faces challenges including low government spending, capacity gaps, infrastructure limitation and insufficient learning materials. Addressing these challenges would be a key priority for President Kagame who was sworn in for a fourth term in August 2024.
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