Online Reporter
Dr Evans Sagomba
Everything AI
WHEN Rwanda approved the establishment of its National Artificial Intelligence Agency in June 2026, it did more than create another government department.
It signalled a decisive shift from policy rhetoric to institutional action. For Zimbabwe, watching from across the border, this development should serve as a roadmap worthy of copying.
Rwanda’s Cabinet, chaired by President Paul Kagame, endorsed the agency as the country’s central body for coordinating AI deployment, governing data use, and setting standards to protect citizens.
Minister Paula Ingabire was clear: without well governed local data, there can be no meaningful AI.
Rwanda has already invested in a national data centre, a governed data sandbox, and partnerships with universities to ensure that talent and infrastructure grow hand in hand.
This is not abstract policy; it is practical architecture for a digital future.
Zimbabwe has frequently discussed digital transformation and should also establish a dedicated institution with the mandate to drive it.
Our National AI Strategy should be anchored in a permanent agency with authority, resources, and accountability.
Rwanda’s example demonstrates that effective strategies require robust institutions for implementation.
If we are to truly harness AI for economic growth, we must create a body that can coordinate, regulate, and implement the national AI strategy. Consider the economic rationale.
Rwanda estimates that AI could contribute nearly US$600 million to its economy within five years, against an implementation cost of about US$76 million. That is a return on investment any finance minister would envy.
The lesson is clear: investment in AI is not a luxury; it is a multiplier. By institutionalising AI, Rwanda is betting on a future where digital innovation drives agriculture, healthcare, education, and governance.
Zimbabwe must make the same bet, and not be left behind in Africa’s digital race.
The emphasis on data governance is particularly instructive.
Rwanda has enacted a Data Privacy and Protection Law, introduced a national data sharing policy, and built infrastructure to ensure that local datasets are accessible yet secure.
Zimbabwe’s data landscape remains fragmented, with ministries and agencies holding information in silos. Without a central authority to govern data use, we cannot build trustworthy AI applications tailored to our context.
Worse, we risk exposing citizens to exploitation by external actors who will happily fill the vacuum.
A National AI Agency in Zimbabwe could harmonise data policies, enforce privacy standards, and create a sandbox for innovation that protects citizens while enabling startups and researchers.
Talent development is another pillar where Rwanda is ahead. Seventy percent of its AI policy focuses on building local skills. This is not accidental.
Kigali understands that imported expertise cannot sustain a national ecosystem. Zimbabwe has strong universities and a vibrant youth population, but our graduates often lack pathways into cutting edge digital industries.
A dedicated agency could partner with universities, polytechnics, and industry to create training pipelines, internships, and research hubs.
Without such coordination, our talent will continue to migrate, leaving us with brain drain instead of brain gain.
The regional context matters too. Rwanda hosted the Global AI Summit on Africa in 2025, positioning itself as a continental leader.
By approving its agency, it has reinforced that leadership. Zimbabwe, with its intellectual tradition and strategic location, should be part of this conversation. We must institutionalise our ambitions. The Africa Declaration on Artificial Intelligence, endorsed in Kigali, calls for trusted, locally relevant technologies. Zimbabwe must not only sign declarations but also build institutions that make them real.
Of course, challenges remain. UNESCO has identified shortages in advanced AI talent and limited access to high quality training data across Africa.
Rwanda’s new agency is expected to address these gaps. Zimbabwe faces the same obstacles, but without an agency, we lack the mechanism to tackle them systematically.
Piecemeal initiatives will not suffice. We need a central body that can coordinate investments, attract partnerships, and ensure that our AI ecosystem grows in a coherent, sustainable way.
What, then, should Zimbabwe’s Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services do?
First, take heed of Rwanda’s boldness. Establishment of a Zimbabwe National AI Agency, reporting to Cabinet and Parliament, with a clear mandate to coordinate deployment, govern data, and set standards.
Second, embed this agency within our national development agenda, not as a side project, but as a strategic driver of economic transformation.
Third, ensure that talent development is at the heart of its mission, with partnerships across universities, industry, and civil society.
Fourth, prioritise data governance, enacting laws and policies that protect citizens while enabling innovation.
Fifth, secure funding through a mix of Government allocation, private investment, and international partnerships. Rwanda attracted support from the Gates Foundation; Zimbabwe can do the same.
This is not about copying Rwanda blindly. It is about learning from a neighbour who has moved from policy to practice.
Zimbabwe has its own strengths: a rich intellectual tradition, a resilient population, and a strategic position in Southern Africa. Rwanda has shown that institutionalising AI is possible, affordable, and transformative. Zimbabwe must follow suit.
The stakes are high. If we act, we can position ourselves as a regional leader, attract investment, and empower our citizens with digital tools that improve lives.
If we delay, we risk irrelevance, watching as others shape the future while we remain spectators. Rwanda has lit the path. Zimbabwe must walk it, with urgency and conviction. The capacity for this is unlimited.
The question is simple: do we want to be part of Africa’s digital vanguard, or do we want to be left behind?
Rwanda has answered with action. Zimbabwe must now answer with its own.
The Ministry of ICT, Postal and Courier Services has the capacity to establish the institution that will carry our digital ambitions forward.
Zimbabwe has the expertise to do even more and lead in Africa’s AI drive.
About the Author: Dr Evans Sagomba is a Doctor of Philosophy and Chartered Marketer (CMktr, FCIM) with an MPhil and PhD in Philosophy. He specialises in AI, Ethics, and Policy Research, and is an AI Governance and Policy Consultant. Master’s and PhD supervisor. AI Ethics and Governance Lecturer. [email protected]; Social media handles; LinkedIn; @ Dr. Evans Sagomba (MSc Marketing) (FCIM)(MPhil) (PhD); X: @esagomba.
