President Kagame names Jean-Guy Afrika new Rwanda Development Board CEO

President Paul Kagame, on Monday, January 13, 2025, appointed Jean-Guy Afrika as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), according to a communiqué from the Office of the Prime Minister. Jean-Guy Afrika succeeds Francis Gatare, who was recently appointed as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the President. Afrika is a Rwandan development specialist with extensive experience in public policy, regional integration, infrastructure finance, and project management. He served as the Acting Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office at the African Develop

President Paul Kagame, on Monday, January 13, 2025, appointed Jean-Guy Afrika as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), according to a communiqué from the Office of the Prime Minister. Jean-Guy Afrika succeeds Francis Gatare, who was recently appointed as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the President. Afrika is a Rwandan development specialist with extensive experience in public policy, regional integration, infrastructure finance, and project management. He served as the Acting Director of the Regional Integration Coordination Office at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) . Having joined the AfDB in 2010, Afrika held various roles in departments such as Agriculture and Rural Infrastructure, NEPAD Regional Integration and Trade, and Industrialization and Trade Development. He also served as a Senior Policy Expert with the East African Community (EAC), where he supported the adoption and implementation of protocols, policies, and regulations to deepen regional integration. Additionally, he held the position of Director of Export Promotion at the Rwanda Investment & Export Promotion Agency, where he led initiatives to improve the business environment and accelerate export growth. Afrika holds a Master of Arts degree in International Commerce and Policy from George Mason University. He is an alumnus of executive programs in trade, leadership, and negotiations from institutions such as the Harvard Kennedy School, Oxford University, and the Graduate Institute of Geneva. The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) is a government institution mandated to accelerate Rwanda’s economic development by fostering private sector growth. Operating under the supervision of the Office of the President, RDB is governed by a Board of Directors comprising global entrepreneurs and experts. RDB’s key services include business and investment registration, visa facilitation, environmental impact assessments, tax incentive management, investment promotion, negotiation of investment deals, export and special economic zone (SEZ) development, tourism and conservation, and private sector skills development.