Writer: Steven Sabiti. PHOTO/FILE/COURTESY
Between October 15 and 18, 2024, Kigali will be welcoming guests from all around the world for the Global Engineering Conference (GECO) and World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) Executive Committee Meetings, a gathering that brings together the best minds in the area of engineering in the world.
This will be Rwanda’s latest confirmation of its intention to be a major player in engineering and innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa, and to further showcase its potential as a launchpad for groundbreaking technology in Africa.
It is also an outcome of the government effort to position the country as a major destination for world class meetings through the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) strategy that was adopted close to a decade ago.
During this four-day conference, the finest of minds from engineering practice – including world-class practitioners, academics and policymakers – will sit to discuss key topics that seek to unlock the formula for a sustainable and equitable world.
The conference is a proud moment for the Institution of Engineers Rwanda (IER) and, most certainly, for every African in the Sub-Saharan region as this not only indicates the region’s ability to lead in crucial debates around global sustainability, but also paves the way for future high-level engagements in the region. For far too long, sub-Saharan Africa has been quiet and looked at as lagging behind.
This will be an opportunity for us to showcase not just our ambitions, but our road map to reaching our collective dreams.
Themed “Engineering for A Sustainable Future”, the conference will be an ideal platform to bring together engineering professionals in academia and industry, and policy-makers from Rwanda, Africa and beyond. We cannot be prouder.
Kigali will become the Sub-Saharan region’s first city to host this conference. The conference and the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) Executive Committee meetings will be hosted by IER in collaboration with WFEO.
More than 1,000 participants will immerse themselves in discussions around the place of engineering in development, especiallySub-Saharan Africa- which is in a race to catch up with most of the developed world. This can only have a positive outcome for us.
It comes on at a crucial time when Africa is opening up for mobility of capital and labour, through initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which makes such networking platforms even more important.
This conference will discuss six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that underline our leap into the future, which are quality education (SDG4), clean water and sanitation (SDG6), industry, affordable and clean energy (SDG7), innovation and infrastructure (SDG9), sustainable cities and communities (SDG11), and climate action (SDG13).
Through exhibitions, there will be an opportunity to showcase innovations and technological advancements from Rwandans, and from around the globe as we join hands to set in motion solutions to some of the world’s most urgent problems.
According to The World Bank, Rwanda’s economy achieved a 7.6 percent growth rate in the first three quarters of 2023, which was a resilient and adaptable showing despite external and domestic factors.
The country’s GDP growth is expected to regain momentum in 2024–2026, with a projected average growth of 7.2 percent. This conference will work to the benefit of Rwanda’s economic projections.
Rwanda, like many African countries, has its own back story. The conference will provide the pedestal on which we can individually and collectively showcase the great strides we have made and by doing so, claim our space at the table of innovators.
Finally, our great list of guests will, after ruminating on the topics on offer during the conference, have a chance to savour the beauty of Rwanda, which is home to three national parks, including Volcanoes National Park, which is famous for its mountain gorillas. They can also experience our arts, with traditional dance performances and art galleries, and could visit our museums and historical sites, including in Kigali.
I, therefore, want to call upon colleagues, especially in our sub-region, to be part of this historical moment by registering to attend the meeting which will be a great platform.
“For far too long, sub-Saharan Africa has been quiet and looked at as lagging behind.
Steven Sabiti is the CEO of the Institution of Engineers Rwanda
