Rwanda and Senegal have taken a major step toward expanding economic opportunities between East and West Africa after their investment promotion agencies signed a new agreement to strengthen trade, investment, and business partnerships.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Kigali on Wednesday during the Rwanda–Senegal Investment Forum, bringing together government officials and businesses to explore new opportunities for collaboration.
RDB Deputy CEO Juliana Muganza and Moustapha Cissé, Deputy Director General of Senegal’s Agence nationale chargée de la Promotion des Investissements et des Grands Travaux (APIX), signed the agreement on behalf of their institutions.
The agreement is set to deepen cooperation between the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and APIX by promoting investment, facilitating business activities and strengthening the exchange of knowledge and expertise.
It also creates a stronger platform for businesses from both countries to discover new markets, build partnerships and contribute to Africa’s growing economic integration.
Speaking at the forum, Muganza welcomed Senegalese businesses and pointed to a wide range of sectors where the two countries can unlock new opportunities.
“We have businesses represented today across logistics, construction and real estate, leather and fashion, agriculture and agro-processing, trade facilitation and other services. These are areas where there are real opportunities to trade, form partnerships and invest across our two markets,” Muganza said.
She said the forum also offers an opportunity for Rwanda and Senegal to learn from each other and build on their respective strengths.
“And there is much we can learn from each other. Senegal has built strong capabilities in entrepreneurship, trade, services, industry and regional business, with Dakar serving as an important commercial gateway in West Africa,” she said.
Muganza further highlighted Rwanda’s growing position as a destination for business and investment in East Africa, saying closer cooperation could connect the strengths of the two markets.
“There is an opportunity to combine these strengths with Rwanda’s growing position as a business and investment hub in East Africa,” she added.
The agreement comes as Rwanda and Senegal continue to strengthen their economic cooperation and create stronger connections between businesses in East and West Africa.
Rwanda and Senegal have maintained strong diplomatic relations, with Rwanda opening its embassy in Dakar in 2011. The two countries have also developed cooperation in areas including culture, general cooperation, air transport and media.
The latest RDB–APIX agreement adds greater momentum to this relationship by placing investment and private-sector cooperation at the centre of their economic partnership.
The partnership is expected to help businesses identify new opportunities, exchange expertise and establish lasting commercial connections while supporting broader economic integration across Africa.
The Rwanda–Senegal Investment Forum therefore marks another important step toward turning shared ambitions into practical investment, trade and business opportunities.
