Rwandan President Paul Kagame has commended MTN for taking a risk with and remaining committed to the country over the past 25 years.
“Who else would have found it easy to invest in a country that had just emerged from our tragic history, as we know it? We took risks, both of us, you took a risk with us, and we took a risk with you, but here, 25 years later I think we can say we are happy,“ he said.
He was speaking at the 25th Anniversary Gala of MTN Rwanda held on the sidelines of the just-end Mobile World Congress Africa in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
Twenty-five years ago, when Rwanda had just come out a bloody conflict and was left in absolute ruins, MTN took a risk and invested in the country, and today the fruits are there to show.
Paul Kagame said: “It’s not an understatement, it’s real, it is something we need to celebrate. I have no doubt, we will do even much better in the near future.”
MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita thanked the government and people of Rwanda for their support, saying: “MTN Rwanda’s journey reflects our commitment to connecting Rwandans, and we thank all our stakeholders for travelling this path with us.”
He noted that an enabling environment is one of the key requirements for MTN’s work to extend digital and financial inclusion across the continent, which aims to give Africans hope, dignity and opportunity.
Indeed at the opening of the MWC Africa conference, Senior Vice President, Markets at MTN Group, Ebenezer Asante lauded the Rwandan government for being a shining and seminal example for other African countries with regards to creating the enabling environment to make industry players help bridge the digital gap faster.
MTN Rwanda Chief Marketing Officer, Saint Doe-Tamakloe told Techfocus24 that the Rwandan government has put very practical and pragmatic policy frameworks in place to drive affordability and other elements needed to include all Rwandans in the digital transformation.
“Give us about a year or two and we will report some very concrete result of the impact of these policies,” he added.
MTN Rwanda CEO, Mapula Bodibe said the company was dedicated to driving economic and social development, adding; “We will continue to invest in Rwanda and are committed to continuing to work with the government and people of this beautiful country to achieve our shared goal of a prosperous and digitally connected nation.”
Bodibe also expressed gratitude to MTN Rwanda’s people saying: “I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the exceptional leadership and dedicated staff of MTN Rwanda. Their unwavering commitment, hard work, and passion have been instrumental in our success and have enabled us to make a meaningful impact on the lives of Rwandans.”
The company continues investing in networks and systems to expand its reach and deliver the benefits of a modern connected life to all Rwandans.
