From this September 6^th to 8^th, 2023, at Kigali Convention Center Africa Smart Cities Investment Summit took place under the theme:” Leadership for Smart Cities: Investing in inclusive and sustainable cities of the future”. The event brought together more than 1000 participants from more than 40 countries.

The Opening Ceremony was graced with various dignitaries from government of Rwanda and private partners including the UN resident Coordinator Ozonnia Ojielo ASCIS Chief Curator Mr.  Jean Philibert Nsengimana, European Union Ambassador Bellen Calvo Uyarra, Mayor of Kigali City – Pudence Rubingisa, Deputy Governor of Nairobi City and many more.  The Guest of Honor to this event is the Minister of ICT and Innovation Mrs. Paula Ingabire.

In their various remarks, they emphasized on how to come up with innovative and digital solutions which will answer challenges caused by constant increase of urban population within African cities. They added that Africa Smart Cities Investment Summit is a platform to help find answers to urbanization challenges of today and tomorrow and while doing so, sustainability should be at the core of each smart city development initiatives.

The Smart City Hub launched during ASCIS has the objective of facilitating and driving efficient, sustainable, digital solutions that improve the quality of life for citizens in cities and communities in Rwanda through technology and innovation.

During the afternoon session the panelists discussed about “People Power: Crafting Smart Policies for African Cities of Tomorrow”. 

The session focused on how African governments can adapt and create policies for future Smart Cities and how smart policies which drive positive impact, using technology can make cities more comfortable to live in.  The Panel was chaired by the Minister of Infrastructure Dr Ernest Nsabimana.