Rwanda marked a major milestone in its digital transformation journey with the graduation of the first cohort of the Data Science Capacity Building Initiative (DSCBI) on January 30, 2026, under the Rwanda Economy Digitalisation (RED) Programme.

The six-month professional training brought together approximately 41 participants from various public institutions, who successfully completed an intensive data science programme. The initiative aimed to strengthen government capacity in data analytics and artificial intelligence, while promoting evidence-based decision-making across public institutions.

The graduation ceremony convened key stakeholders from government, development partners, and academic institutions. Discussions highlighted the critical role of data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in accelerating Rwanda’s digital transformation, strengthening public sector performance, and supporting informed policy formulation.

The DSCBI programme was implemented through a partnership between the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) Rwanda, the Mastercard Foundation, and Cenfri. Beyond technical skills, the programme intentionally focused on building leadership capabilities, enabling participants to drive institutional culture change, promote ethical and evidence-based decision-making, and improve institutional efficiency across government.

Participants were equipped to design and apply practical, data-driven solutions to address real institutional challenges. Speaking during the graduation ceremony, the Minister of State in the Ministry of ICT &innovation and Guest of Honour, Yves Iradukunda, emphasized that the data science training programme was not only about building technical expertise, but also about nurturing leadership skills. He noted that the graduates are expected to become change-makers, capable of driving innovation and fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making across institutions.

The graduation of this first cohort represents a significant step toward building a skilled, forward-looking public sector workforce capable of leveraging data and AI to enhance governance, improve service delivery, and advance Rwanda’s digital future.