More than 800 Rwandans living across Europe are gathering in Poland for a retreat aimed at exploring ways to contribute to Rwanda’s development, preserve the country’s achievements and tap into investment opportunities at home.
The two-day retreat, taking place from October 30 to 31, 2026, will bring together members of the diaspora to discuss their role in advancing the country’s development.
Ngarambe Armand, representative of Rwandans living in Poland, said the gathering offers an opportunity to showcase the diaspora’s potential and identify ways to strengthen its contribution to Rwanda.
He said participants would exchange ideas on existing investments in Rwanda and explore how to expand them for greater impact.
“It will be a good opportunity to demonstrate what they can do. They have investment projects in the country, and they will share ideas on how to accelerate them and achieve even more,” he said.
Speaking to Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA), Ngarambe noted that significant opportunities remain untapped, particularly among young Rwandans who studied or grew up abroad and have specialised skills that could help address challenges back home.
“There are opportunities among young people who studied or grew up here that we have not fully utilised. Rwandans living abroad have specialised knowledge that could help solve challenges in the country. We have engineers, doctors and aviation professionals,” he said.
He added that the retreat would encourage participants to identify their individual contributions to national development, stressing the need to make better use of the skills and expertise available within the diaspora.
Rwandans living abroad contribute to the country’s economy through remittances sent to relatives and friends, as well as investments that create jobs and support livelihoods.
Figures from the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) show that remittances from the diaspora have nearly doubled over the past five years.
Rwandans abroad sent $379 million home in 2021, rising to $461 million in 2022 and $505 million in 2023.
The amount dipped slightly to $502 million in 2024 before increasing by 27.3% to reach $640 million in 2025.
These figures highlight the diaspora’s growing contribution to Rwanda’s economy through remittances, investment and the transfer of skills and expertise.
