The Government has introduced a Rwf49 billion five-year strategic plan for the youth sector (2024–2029) designed to enhance the lives of young people through job generation, entrepreneurship, skill enhancement, and better access to financial and health services. ALSO READ: Youth investment facility: what’s in it for young entrepreneurs? Led by the Ministry of Youth and Arts (MoYA), the initiative offers a detailed framework to execute the National Youth Policy, featuring targeted actions aimed at decreasing youth unemployment, supporting startups, and empowering youth in vital economic areas such as agriculture, ICT, and the creative industry. Lowering youth unemployment One of the main goals of the plan is to cut youth unemployment from 20.8 percent to 10.85 percent by 2029. It also aims to decrease the percentage of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET) from 32.9 percent to 20.4 percent. To achieve this, the plan will help create 200 new youth jobs each year and double the number of youth-owned businesses accessing finance from 16 percent to 32 percent. The number of youth receiving coaching, mentorship, internships, and apprenticeship training will increase by 5 percent annually. John Bosco Kalisa, vice chair of the Council of Small and Medium Enterprises of Rwanda (CSMER), stated that this strategic plan should focus on key sectors capable of generating jobs for youth. “Several sectors have the potential to generate more jobs for youth. These include the creative industry, such as cultural arts, music, sports activities, and digital-related activities, tourism and travel-related services, and agriculture, especially horticulture. These are the primary drivers of job creation,” he mentioned. However, he added, the youth must possess the necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities. “We could also include light manufacturing, such as leather and leather-related products, textiles and apparel, and construction-related activities,” he added. Expanding access to vocational training The plan also includes ambitious targets for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The employability rate of TVET graduates is expected to increase from 62 percent to 72 percent, and the proportion of students enrolled in TVET programs will grow from 43 percent to 60 percent. Over 15,500 youth will be trained in vocational courses, compared to 10,688 previously. Reducing HIV, teenage pregnancy, and poverty Under the Youth Health and Well-being pillar, the plan aims to reduce HIV prevalence among youth from 2.4 percent to 0.6 percent. Teenage pregnancy will also be reduced by half, from 5 percent to 2.5 percent. Additionally, the proportion of young people living below the poverty line is expected to fall from 29.6 percent to 20 percent. Enhancing digital skills and jobs Focusing on the digital economy, the plan aims to increase youth digital literacy from 13.1 percent to 63 percent and create 1,500 digital jobs by 2029. Youth in Agriculture and Green Economy The plan seeks to boost youth participation in agriculture, particularly in high-value export crops like horticulture, by expanding training and resource access. Expected results include increasing youth employment in export crop farming from 18.7 percent to 32 percent and doubling the share of youth using climate-resilient seed varieties. Around 5,250 young veterinary technicians will be trained in bovine artificial insemination, and 12,000 youth will gain digital skills related to animal resource management. Additionally, 228 small green projects will be supported, and 4,800 youth will be trained in climate change adaptation. More than 1,300 young people will acquire skills in green ecosystem practices. Creative sector and sports To leverage youth talent in the arts and culture, the plan aims to create creative jobs accounting for 5 percent of the workforce, contributing 2 percent to national GDP. At least 812 talented youth will be identified and supported to develop sustainable careers in the creative sector, and 250 more will undergo creative capacity training. Four new Centres of Excellence for youth creative education will be established—one in each province and the City of Kigali—alongside the existing center in Nyundo. In sports, infrastructure at youth centers will expand by 15 percent, and 250 talented youth athletes will be supported to secure professional contracts. Civic engagement and YouthConnekt The number of youth participating in YouthConnekt events is expected to grow from 36,892 to over 51,000, while the number of youth volunteers involved in community development will increase to over 1.67 million. Gender and decision-making The plan also aims to increase the representation of young women in decision-making bodies to 35 percent and reduce the rate of youth experiencing physical violence from 31.2 percent to 10 percent. Yvette Nyiratebuka, a young farmer from Kayonza, called for more support for school dropouts and young farmers in rural areas. “Many of us are engaged in small-scale agriculture. With support in TVET and financial assistance, we can grow our businesses,” she said. Youth Investment Facility and Entrepreneurship Support A key element of the strategy is the establishment of the Youth Investment Facility (YIF), which will be implemented in collaboration with financial institutions and fintech companies. The facility will offer low-interest loans, reduced collateral requirements, and tailored financial products for young entrepreneurs. Peter Clever Nsanzumuhire, a young entrepreneur producing wine from coffee, emphasized the need to support youth-led startups seeking product certification like the S-Mark to improve market access. “Access to finance is helpful, but coaching and support to meet quality standards is equally important,” he said. The plan will also train 110,974 youth in entrepreneurship, up from 75,796. Youth employment across economic sectors The share of employed youth will increase in several key sectors: from 5.6 percent to 6.8 percent in industry, from 5.5 percent to 7 percent in manufacturing, and from 41 percent to 51 percent in services. Implementation and financing The strategic plan will require Rwf49 billion for full implementation. The budget is distributed as follows: Rwf8 billion in the first year, Rwf8.8 billion in the second, Rwf9.8 billion in the third, Rwf10.7 billion in the fourth, and Rwf11.6 billion in the final year.
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