Minister Svenja Schulze travels to Rwanda

The focus of the trip is on the establishment of vaccine production, the joint commitment against the climate crisis, digitalisation and the role of women in successful development.

The first partner country trip of her term in office is taking Minister Svenja Schulze to the heart of Africa this week - to Rwanda. In addition to talks with President Kagame and other members of the government as well as with female leaders, the programme includes visits to German Development Cooperation projects. After the devastating genocide in 1994, Rwanda has followed an impressive path of growth and development.

Rwanda has come through the current COVID-19 pandemic with comparatively low case numbers thanks to consistent lockdowns, comprehensive testing strategies and a successful vaccination campaign. By now, about 70% of the adult population has been vaccinated twice - an outstanding number in the region. The country wants to be prepared for future pandemics and produce vaccines against COVID-19 and other diseases itself with German technology.

In cooperation with BioNTech: mRNA vaccines made in Africa

A fortnight ago, BioNTech presented modular units in Marburg in which mRNA vaccines can be produced. BioNTech could set up the first production plant in Africa before the end of this year and start production about a year later, i.e. at the end of 2023. Initially, BioNTech will also provide the production team; in the future, Rwandan specialists will take over. Then malaria and tuberculosis vaccines will also be produced in the container facilities. Minister Schulze has made supporting the development of vaccine production capacities in Africa a priority of her term in office, including in Rwanda. Since 2016, the German government has been supporting the establishment of the EAC Regional Center of Excellence on Immunization in Kigali. On behalf of the BMZ, KfW Development Bank is funding the Centre of Excellence with EUR 35.7 million for the training of experts.

On 1 March, Svenja Schulze, together with the Rwandan Minister of Health and a representative of BioNTech, spoke to master's students of the Centre of Excellence at the University of Kigali about vaccine production in Africa and about training specialists in biomedicine.

Germany and Rwanda sign climate and development partnership

Likewise on 1 March, Svenja Schulze, Dr Uzziel Ndagijimana, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, and Dr Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya, Minister of Environment, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the German-Rwandan Climate and Development Partnership. Under this partnership, the two countries will work on the implementation of the National Climate Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement. Under the NDC, Rwanda has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 38% by 2030 compared to a business-as-usual scenario - an ambitious plan.

Other important parts of the NDC relate to adaptation issues such as water security, agriculture, forestry, settlements and health. Two contracts were also signed for the concrete implementation of the partnership: KfW Development Bank is providing EUR 30 million for the "Green City Kigali" project, and EUR 26 million will be used to support measures for adaptation to climate change. The new "Green City Kigali" settlement will provide affordable housing for up to 8,000 inhabitants, with environmentally sound and climate-adapted urban infrastructure including nature-based solutions for drainage and heat absorption, rainwater harvesting and fresh water supply, and wastewater treatment.

Pioneer in digitalisation

Another item on the programme will be a visit to the Digital Centre in Kigali: Rwanda is also an ambitious pioneer in digitalisation on the African continent and has already achieved a lot. 40% of public services have already been digitised, which benefits rural areas in particular and strengthens political participation and transparency. KfW Development Bank is promoting smart cities and municipalities, vocational training and agriculture through the "ICT Facility" with EUR 22.5 million in an initial phase. For example, early warning and disaster management systems for heavy rainfall events and floods can be developed. The minister will return to Berlin on 3 March.