President Paul Kagame has said Africa faces a major challenge in providing access to finance for people who need capital to start and grow businesses, arguing that the current financial system often gives more opportunities to those who already have money.
Kagame made the remarks on September 3, 2026, during an interactive session with young people at the Africa Food Systems Forum 2026, a conference focused on food security and building sustainable systems to ensure access to food.
The President stressed that access to food goes beyond being a human right, describing it as a matter of survival.
“Food is life because a person cannot live without food,” Kagame said, stressing the importance of building strong food systems.
He noted that achieving food security requires a complete value chain, from agricultural production to processing, transportation and reaching the final consumer.
“Production must take place. All of us must find ways to produce, but there are challenges along the value chain,” he said.
Government Support for Young Entrepreneurs
President Kagame acknowledged that many young people across Africa are trying to develop innovative solutions to improve food production and availability, but often face significant obstacles.
He said governments have an important responsibility to support people working in the sector and help them overcome barriers preventing them from achieving their goals.
Kagame stressed that without deliberate government intervention to support capable people who lack certain resources, many challenges would remain unresolved.
“Leaders should remember that they need to support people who want to do something and have the ability but lack small resources. Governments should find ways to remove barriers. Mechanisms can be created to help people do what they are capable of doing,” he said.
He added that if such support is properly implemented, both governments and beneficiaries can benefit.
According to Kagame, governments can find ways to recover funds provided to entrepreneurs, while ensuring that young people with the ability and determination to create businesses are given an opportunity to continue developing their ideas.
‘Africa’s Financial System Gives Money to Those Who Already Have It’
Responding to a question about young people with business ideas who struggle to access capital, Kagame said Africa’s financial system needs to change.
“Africa’s financial system is structured in a way that gives money to those who already have money,” Kagame said.
He called for stronger efforts by African governments to remove barriers that prevent young people and other entrepreneurs from accessing finance.
Kagame said governments should establish mechanisms that provide capital to people with viable ideas but limited financial resources.
“This is possible,” he said.
He pointed to Rwanda’s approach, explaining that the government and some development partners have invested resources through institutions and programmes designed to support entrepreneurs, including young people who have business ideas but lack capital.
Kagame said the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and the government can play an important role in connecting entrepreneurs with opportunities and supporting them as they seek to access the capital needed to start or expand their businesses.
He emphasized that government support can ultimately benefit the wider economy.
“Those who are supported can make profits, grow and create things that benefit themselves, the country and the economy as a whole,” he said.
Opportunities Across the Food Value Chain
One of the participants, 28-year-old Zambian entrepreneur Imungana Malikana, who helps people access finance and connect their products to markets, asked Kagame what opportunities he would pursue if he were a 25-year-old entrepreneur working in the food security sector.
Malikana noted that Africa has vast fertile land and one of the world’s youngest populations.
In response, Kagame said the food value chain offers numerous opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
“If I had the opportunity at that time as an entrepreneur, I would look at the entire chain, starting from the farm and moving all the way to the final consumer or the market,” he said.
“There are many gaps that need to be filled, including farm inputs, equipment, technology, irrigation, storage and many other areas.”
Kagame encouraged young entrepreneurs to identify opportunities based on their skills, knowledge and interests.
He said the most important thing is to identify where an individual can make the greatest contribution within the broader value chain.
The President noted that food security is not only a challenge for individuals, families or individual countries but also an international issue.
He said entrepreneurs should consider how to begin, including working with others, seeking financing and taking advantage of programmes created by governments and other institutions.
Leadership Begins With Personal Responsibility
Another participant, Lydia Murekatete, founder of All Greens, a company that grows vegetables in greenhouses, asked President Kagame about the most important lesson he has learned from Rwanda’s development journey that leaders and entrepreneurs can apply in their own work.
Kagame said there are many lessons, but one of the most important is personal responsibility.
He said that regardless of the sector in which a person works, everyone has a responsibility to perform their role effectively.
“The lesson I believe can help us is that all of this is within each one of us. Every person has the ability and can become the leader they want to become,” he said.
Kagame encouraged people to ask themselves what they are personally doing to solve the problems facing their communities.
“What is your role? Leaders exist to solve problems when they see them,” he said.
He added that people should first examine themselves before attempting to solve the problems of others.
“Before deciding to go out and solve problems elsewhere, first examine yourself,” Kagame said.
The President explained that this does not mean being self-centred but rather learning to be honest with oneself, identify personal weaknesses and challenges, and develop the ability to solve problems.
He said identifying problems and determining which ones should be addressed first becomes easier when people develop a habit of self-reflection and responsibility.
Kagame concluded by saying that everyone has the capacity to think critically and solve problems, but some people choose not to use those abilities.
“No one has a monopoly on this ability. Everyone has it,” he said, adding that young people should develop this mindset early in life.
According to Kagame, developing a culture of responsibility and problem-solving from a young age can help individuals become better prepared to address increasingly complex challenges as they grow.
