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Africa does not have a talent problem but an investment and scalability problem, News Central’s international correspondent said Monday as the 2026 Innovate Africa Conference opened in Kigali, Rwanda.
Blessings Mosugu, reporting live from the Kigali Convention Centre, said the two-day event running from October 12 to 13 was convened to bridge the gap between African talent and the investment needed to scale it globally.
“Africa does not have a talent problem. We only have an investment problem,” Mosugu said.
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“We have a problem of global scalability, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve at this conference.”
The conference is themed “Driving the Next Trillion Dollar Economies” and focuses on four sectors: creativity, technology, agriculture and energy.
The #InnovateAfricaConference2026 is taking place in Kigali, Rwanda, for its third edition, following previous gatherings in Washington DC, in 2024 and Abuja in 2025. This year’s event focuses on building trillion-dollar economies through investment in technology, agriculture,… pic.twitter.com/mf27Gr1oKK
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) October 12, 2026
Mosugu said investment was central to the discussions.
“At the centre of all of it, we’re also zooming in on investment. And behind me right now, there is the investment session, panel session going on,” she said.
“That’s to tell you how important investment is because you cannot scale all of these segments or sectors without investment.”
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The conference has rotated locations since its inception: Washington DC in 2024, Abuja in 2025 and Kigali in 2026.
Mosugu said dignitaries had spoken on the opening day, with more scheduled, while the second day would focus on business pitching.
“Day two is more about pitching their businesses, so you know that it’s not just a talk shop,” she said.
