Represented by the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications (MITEC) and Rwanda Development Board (RDB), The Government of Rwanda signed a partnership agreement with Andela to establish the company’s pan-African tech hub in Kigali.

Over the next five years, the firm plans to recruit up to 500 Rwandans with expertise in software development and offer them six months paid training. Trainees will receive over 900 skill checkpoints enabling them to be competitive across the world.

Thereafter, Andela will offer the new trainees jobs as remote members of software development teams at world leading firms. Andela works with over 150 firms spread across 45 cities globally.

In the training phase of the 500 software developers, the firm said that they expect to incur between $15,000 and $20,000 each, raising its market entry outlay to between $7.5 million and to $10 million.

The intake process will however be done in phases beginning August.

Jeremy Johnson the Chief Executive of the Andela said that the software developers will be able to work remotely for firms across the world with most of them in the US.

He said that the application will not require any technical background in the sector or college degrees but will be largely based on interest and drive.

“The application process is non-trivial. It does not require a college degree or any technical background. Anyone is able to apply. What Andela focuses on is based on one’s interest and drive and determination,” he said.

The organization will also train and employ about 200 developers from the region thus making it a Pan-African software development hub.

The Minister for Information Technology and Communications (ITC), Jean de Dieu Rurangirwa, welcomed the development, saying that it will improve the competitiveness of the local tech ecosystem. He said that Rwanda will be able to make the most of the opportunity as the firm will also have a capacity building component.

The Minister said that the government would continue to make efforts in capacity development to ensure the country can make the most of the opportunity.

“It will…create an ecosystem for local software development advancements,” Rurangirwa added.

Rwanda Development Board’s Chief Executive Officer, Clare Akamanzi, said that the development will also expose Rwanda to more opportunities across the world.

By The New Times