The City of Kigali has emerged the first winner in the top three best performing Cities in Smart City Index presented by Smart Africa in collaboration with Dala Africa. The announcement was made on 06 September 2023 as the Smart City Hub was launched during the Africa Smart Cities Investment Summit held in Kigali. Other cities that followed the City of Kigali are Tunis and Nairobi.
The Africa Smart Cities Investment Summit convened in Kigali from 06 to 8th September 2023, attracting over 500 delegates from different continents and with various expertise.
The Smart City Hub aims to facilitate and drive efficient, sustainable, digital solutions that improve the quality of life for citizens in cities and communities through technology and innovation.
The Mayor of the City of Kigali, Rubingisa Pudence, thanked all those who made it to meet in Kigali for the Summit. He noted it as a call for action for all actors to devise solutions that improve the cities inhabitants across the continent.
“We are happy to host this Summit from which we expect participants to come up with fruitful deliberations for building a more sustainable, prosperous and inclusive continent,” said Mayor Rubingisa.
The Africa Smart Cities Investment Summit 2023 attracted participants from different sectors on the continent including Government ministers, Governors, Mayors, Heads of corporate institutions, investors and business leaders.
The Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Musoni Paula, reiterated the commitment to smart city initiatives.
“Rwanda, under the Smart Africa initiative, has taken the lead in championing the theme of smart cities. They will not just be physical spaces but also vibrant hubs where ideas, collaboration, creativity, and innovation will flourish. They will undoubtedly serve as catalysts for a citizen-centric approach in practical innovations," she said.
The Smart Cities Investment Summit provided an occasion for participants to have solutions-oriented discussions including building resilience and inclusivity, leaving no one behind. Other topics touched on development of cities such as renewable energy and infrastructure, mobility and hospitality, sustainable urbanization, water and waste management, digital transformation as well as resilience and climate adaptation.