LIVE FROM GSMA MOBILE 360 SERIES – AFRICA, KIGALI: Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure (pictured) hailed the benefits of technology, while noting that “it is a duty of policy makers and operators to make sure that no one is left behind across the technological spectrum”.

Claver Gatete said “most, if not all” government services have been digitised, via a platform called Irembo: “This has reduced both the time and resources spent seeking and delivering services to ordinary citizens, which absolutely plays a role in fast-tracking our development agenda,” he said.

The politician noted data enables governments and enterprises to “create, store, and analyse data to make informed decisions and policies, improving the planning process”.

But in addition to his concerns around inclusiveness, Gatete also noted data security is a key issue.

“In as much as we are celebrating the benefits of technology, we also have to be aware of the challenges that come with it, like cyber crimes, money laundering and the likes. Hence cyber security and other measures are key to mitigating such effects,” he said.