Paul Kagame shares Rwanda’s stance against corruption at a summit in Nigeria

After paying visit to Gabon and meeting Gabonese President, Ali Bongo Ondimba, Rwanda’s Head of State, Paul Kagame arrived in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja on Tuesday, June 11.

Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame gave a keynote address at the opening of the National Democratic Day Anti-Corruption Summit that was hosted by his Nigerian counterpart, Muhammadu Buhari. The Rwandan leader stressed that corruption requires about four key principles: Culture, responsibility, accountability, and effectiveness.

“We must discard the myth that corruption is endemic to particular cultures. Corruption is a universal weakness, not an African one, and it is not part of our destiny as a continent. Indeed, research has shown that some of the biggest sources and beneficiaries of corruption are outside of Africa, and this has always been the case,” Paul Kagame opined while addressing the Summit.

The Summit has taken place under the theme “Curbing Electoral Spending: A panacea to Public Corruption”. It is being organized by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in association with the Presidential Inauguration Planning Committee, as reported by The New Times.

The 61-year old former Rwandan military leader was invited to speak about his nation’s combat against corruption that has led the East African country emerging among the three less corrupted countries in Africa for the last two years by the global anti-corruption body, Transparency International. Rwanda was also the first country in Africa to introduce the e-procurement system in 2016.

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