Rwanda approves a national digital talent policy supported by ICDL

In 2015, ICDL Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rwanda’s Ministry of Youth and ICT (MYICT) to support the country’s ambitious digital transformation agenda. One of the key objectives of the partnership was to contribute to the development of a National Digital Literacy Policy, designed to strengthen digital skills across the public sector and wider economy.

This collaboration culminated in a major milestone when Rwanda’s Cabinet approved the National Digital Talent Policy on 26 April 2017. The policy established a national framework for developing digital competencies and recognised the importance of internationally benchmarked digital skills certification in building a capable and future-ready workforce.

Under the policy, all employees governed by Rwanda’s public service laws, as well as staff working in government-owned institutions and corporations, are expected to undertake digital skills training and obtain certification from globally recognised digital literacy providers. The policy also introduced requirements for new entrants to public sector employment to possess at least a basic digital literacy qualification from an internationally recognised certification provider.

The approval of the policy represented a significant step in Rwanda’s broader vision of becoming a knowledge-based economy powered by technology, innovation, and skilled human capital. By embedding digital skills requirements into public sector workforce development, the government sought to ensure that civil servants possess the competencies needed to deliver efficient, technology-enabled services to citizens and businesses.

The policy also strengthened the role of ICDL in Rwanda’s digital transformation journey. Having supported the policy’s development and already established a formal partnership with the government, ICDL was well positioned to contribute to the implementation of the country’s digital skills objectives through internationally recognised training, assessment, and certification programmes.

In the years that followed, Rwanda continued to demonstrate its commitment to developing digital skills across public institutions. For example, the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) launched an ICDL training and certification programme for 500 employees and became an ICDL Accredited Test Centre, helping to build digital competence throughout one of the country’s key public institutions.

Similarly, the National Bank of Rwanda partnered with ICDL to assess the digital skills of employees across its departments and branches through the ICDL Compass assessment tool. The initiative enabled the Bank to identify skills gaps, develop targeted training programmes, and strengthen digital capabilities across its workforce.

Rwanda’s collaboration with ICDL also expanded into the education sector. Through a partnership between ICDL Africa and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), more than 4,000 science and mathematics teachers were targeted for digital skills training, helping educators integrate technology into teaching and support the development of future generations of digitally skilled learners.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate how the National Digital Talent Policy evolved from a strategic vision into practical implementation across government institutions and the education sector. By combining policy leadership with internationally recognised certification standards, Rwanda has established one of Africa’s most comprehensive approaches to digital skills development and workforce transformation.