Geneva, Switzerland, July 7, 2025

Rwanda’s flagship Digital Ambassador Program (DAP), implemented by the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), has been named a WSIS+20 Champion at the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes Champions Ceremony, hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The award was received on behalf of the Government of Rwanda by Her Excellency Urujeni Bakuramutsa, Ambassador of Rwanda to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva. This global recognition celebrates Rwanda’s leadership in advancing digital literacy, empowering youth, and accelerating the adoption of digital services across the country. It is a strong testament to the nation’s commitment to inclusive digital transformation.

Launched in September 2017, the Digital Ambassador Program was established under the National Strategy for Transformation (NST-1) to tackle Rwanda’s digital skills gap. At the time, fewer than 10% of Rwandans had basic digital literacy. With an ambitious target of reaching 60% digital literacy by 2024 and working toward universal digital literacy by 2029 under NST-2. DAP mobilized youth across the country to deliver digital skills training at the community level. The program began with just 50 ambassadors during its pilot phase and has since grown to over 2,000 active digital ambassadors and 60 District-level supervisors, thanks to the support of various development partners.

These youth ambassadors train citizens to access and use digital platforms such as Irembo to access government services, navigate smartphones and computers, conduct secure online transactions, use financial and e-commerce tools, and understand online safety. Operating at the grassroots level, the program ensures that no one is left behind in Rwanda’s digital journey.

From 2017 to 2024, DAP trained 3,262,869 citizens, contributing to a dramatic rise in Rwanda’s digital literacy rate from under 10% in 2017 to 75.2% by October 2024, according to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR). Apart from increasing digital skills, the program has also led to greater use of self-service government platforms, growth in smartphone and internet usage, expansion of digital financial services, and improved access to services in health, education, and land management. Additionally, DAP has created meaningful employment opportunities for thousands of young Rwandans.

As Rwanda celebrates this WSIS+20 Champion award, DAP stands out not only as a national success story but also as a model that can be replicated globally. Its community-centered, youth-led approach has proven effective in bridging the digital divide and accelerating digital transformation. At RISA, we are proud of this achievement and remain committed to building a digitally empowered Rwanda for all.