By: Maglorious Mwansa
In a world where people do all the crazy things on social media just to be noticed, some have decided to be different. In a world where people get inspired by anything and anyone making noise on social media, some have decided to take a different route. In this week’s Africa World Woman segment, therefore, we feature one of the sharpest minds on the continent, Paula Ingabire, and the youngest minister in Rwanda and someone who is a great inspiration to most women especially those seeking to serve in public office.
Paula Ingabire was born in 1983, on the 24th of January in Kenya, which makes her 38years this year. Paula Ingabire as described by many, is a Rwandan technology professional and enthusiast as well as a politician.
Paula Ingabire did her studies at the University of Rwanda where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in information and communications technology. She later went to obtain a Master of Science degree in Information and Communications Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 2018, she was appointed Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation and since then till date, she’s been serving the same ministerial position.
Before her appointment, Paula Ingabire served as Head of the ICT Business Development Department of the Rwanda Development Board and Coordinator of the Kigali Innovation City. Apart from that, she also worked as the Smart African coordinator, an initiative that seeks to provide broadband infrastructure to drive Africa’s socio-economic growth.
In March, 2020 to be exact, Paula Ingabire was named one of the 115 young global leaders of the year 2020 by the World Economic Forum (WEF). It was very monumental for her in that on this list, we find public officials, business innovators, artists, educators, technology developers, journalists and activists who are below the age of 40. Paula Ingabire is definitely a gallant woman and with so much to give even as young as she is. She has proven to defile every odd and do everything the Paula way. She has rocketed Rwanda forward in its adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution tools. Paula has compelled and made us realise that you can achieve anything you set your mind on, and that sometimes, not even the sky can be your limit. As they say, “nothing underneath the milky way is impossible. Even the word itself says I’m possible. “
