Rwanda has approved the establishment of a National Artificial Intelligence Agency — the country’s first institution dedicated entirely to AI — following a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame on Monday.
The agency will oversee AI deployment, governance, research, skills development, ethics, industry growth and international partnerships. It takes over responsibilities previously held by the AI Office within the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, marking a significant upgrade in Rwanda’s commitment to national AI policy and governance.
The move builds on Rwanda’s status as the first African country to adopt a comprehensive national AI policy, which was approved in April 2023. The new agency elevates that commitment by giving AI its own standalone institution rather than embedding governance within the broader ICT ministry. For other African governments tracking Rwanda’s approach, the decision sets a benchmark — not by driving AI adoption blindly, but by building the governance architecture needed to manage AI at national scale.
The agency’s mandate spans the full AI lifecycle, from development and innovation through adoption, investment and governance. It will centralize Rwanda’s AI efforts to improve coordination, attract talent and investment, and accelerate the deployment of advanced technology.
Rwanda’s 2023 National AI Policy, developed jointly by the Ministry of ICT and the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority, sets out an ethical and inclusive framework covering five core principles: beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, justice and explicability. The policy requires all AI systems to comply with Rwanda’s Data Protection and Privacy Law, and authorizes the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority to take action against systems that breach ethical AI guidelines. The policy also includes sector-specific implementation guidelines across healthcare, agriculture, education, financial services and transportation, and identifies public-private partnerships as a key means of mobilizing resources.
The country’s existing governance ecosystem provides a strong foundation for the new agency. Key institutions involved in regulation and governance related to the AI policy include the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority, the National Cyber Security Authority and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Rwanda.
The new agency now inherits Rwanda’s 2023 framework and the mandate to scale it — positioning the country as the first on the continent with a dedicated, standalone national AI institution.
