Hailemariam Desalegn speaking during the launch of the headquarters in Kigali
Hailemariam Desalegn, the chairman of Africa Electronic Trade Group (AeTrade Group), has indicated that the organisation has a daring target of generating 80 to 125 million jobs in Africa by 2037, with a commitment to get rid of penury on the continent.
“We have a plan of the overall target of 80 to 125 million jobs by 2037 that contribute to the eradication of extreme poverty in Africa. This is a bold and ambitious target, which we cannot achieve on our own, hence we invite all our friends from Rwanda, Africa, and the rest of the world to come and bless this initiative,” Desalegn points out.
He was addressing the inauguration of the AeTrade Group’s continental headquarters, which was launched in Masoro’s Kigali Special Economic Zone on Wednesday, 15 May. The ceremony convened several dignitaries from in and out of Rwanda.
Desalegn lauded the government of Rwanda and President Paul Kagame for their contribution to the organisation’s inception and emphasized that their role has been pivotal in why Rwanda was chosen over other countries to host the continental headquarters of AeTrade Group.
“We do not take lightly the gesture they have made including contributing resources towards the establishment of the organisation. We’re in the beautiful building because of the government (Rwanda) for the temporary location and then we look forward to our permanent location in this beautiful City of Kigali,” he said.
“We’re committed to our partnership with the government to deliver a win-win partnership,” he further noted.
AeTrade Group is an African diaspora-led social enterprise which aims at digitalising trade in Africa at a larger scale by encouraging impact investment in small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to create a large number of jobs for the growing youth population across the continent.
Tony Kajangwe, an official at Rwanda’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, who attended the ceremony on behalf of the government of Rwanda, noted that AeTrade Group’s focus on digitalisation aligns perfectly with Rwanda’s aspirations to become a regional hub for ICT and digital trade.
“Africa’s internet economy has the potential to reach $180 billion by 2025, accounting for 5.2 per cent of the continent’s gross domestic product. Therefore, Rwanda has put digitalisation at the forefront of economic development in general. Internet is widespread, available across the country despite the recent underwater sea cuts that we are all experiencing,” said Kajangwe.
Engr. Mansur Ahmed, a Group Executive Director at Dangote Group, said: “In the private sector, we’re excited about the great benefits that will be brought by any of these platforms and facilities. There’s no doubt that this opens huge opportunities for the participation and integration of private sectors, institutions, and bodies in the effort to move Africa forward and to achieve the goal of the Africa we want.”
