Students in Rwanda may now choose to study eCommerce in universities. A partnership between the government of Rwanda and the Chinese ecommerce company Alibaba has seen the launch of ecommerce studies in Rwandan universities.

“[This] is very good for Africa, and good for Rwanda as ecommerce is an opportunity for accessing the international market,’’ Head of Rwanda’s Special Economic Zones and Export Facilitation Department at (RDB) Diane Sayinzoga said. 

Here Is All You Need To Know

• Alibaba’s partnership with the government of Rwanda was sealed in 2018.
• Under the deal, Rwanda and Alibaba committed to develop the ecommerce ecosystem and a digital economy in the country, promoting epayments, and building the capacity of Rwandans in regards to a digital economy
• In line with implementing the capacity building aspect of the Rwandan Businesses Strategise to Tap Into Benefits of AfCFTAdeal, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the High Education Council in partnership with Alibaba inaugurated the Global Ecommerce Talent (GET), which happens to be Afrca’s first ecommerce training programme at the university level.
• The programme was inaugurated at the African Leadership University (ALU) in Kigali, making it the first university to host the programme that will be studied in other universities in the country.
• According to Demilade Oluwasina, who will lead the programme at ALU, over 150 students at the university have enrolled to take part in the program that will commence from next week and run for about 9 months; and the university already has 7 faculty instructors for the course.
• The programme is an Alibaba Business School Initiative aimed at training aspiring entrepreneurs from across the globe in e-commerce and digital economy business skills, aiming at making Rwanda Africa’s e-Commerce hub, foster the Africa-China relationship, develop digital economy leaders, and train young people to build digital businesses
• ALU has partnered with the Alibaba Business School to train 200 young students in the GET Programme in 2020.
• Diane Sayinzoga said under the capacity building component of the 2018 Rwanda-Alibaba deal, other developments have also been transpiring among which is an undergraduate program in which about 20 Rwandan students are in China studying digital economy; young ecommerce entrepreneurs getting trained, and now the GET programme for universities. About ten Rwandan universities have also had lecturers trained in ecommerce, in preparation for the GET program.
• The 2018 Alibaba deal has seen a number of developments where among others Rwandan coffee is being sold to the Chinese market, tourism packages are marketed online in China, and lately, local chili has also found its way into the Chinese market via Chinese ecommerce platform.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer.
He could be contacted at udohrapulu@gmail.com