Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB) and The Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) through Enabel Rwanda have today signed an MoU to improve geological and mining knowledge in Rwanda.

The Enabel-funded project named "Transfer of geo-data and knowledge in support of a Geo-IMS at RMB" has been carried out by RMCA in 2018-2019 and came to its end on Feb 28th, 2020 with the formal handover to RMB of the project deliverables.

Signed by Hon. Francis Gatare, CEO of RMB and Dirk DEPREZ, Enabel Resident Representative, the MoU will see the structural cooperation between RMB and Royal Museum for Central Africa continued in the fields of geology and mineral resources of Rwanda.

The Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) has a long history of studying the geology and mineral resources of Rwanda. RMCA has carried out, at different times in the past decades, expert works in the country in collaboration with Rwanda geological authorities.

The Government of Rwanda recognizes that the mining sector has the potential to become one of the key drivers that can support a long-term sustainable growth through economic transformation, industrialization and inclusive growth, taking into account environmental and social considerations and using appropriate modern mining techniques.

Mining has now been integrated as a key sector for the national economy in the 7 years Government Program through National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) for promotion of industrialization and attaining a Structural Shift in the export base to High-value goods and services.

There are plans to transform the mining sector by adopting a new approach to deliver higher-level products of the mining industry, including exports revenues increase. Rwanda aims also to become a potential regional mining and mineral processing hub.