Cenfri contributes to building the fundamentals of welfare-enhancing digital economies. We prioritise digital transformation that is inclusive, sustainable, opportunity-creating and has appropriate safeguards. Digital transformation underpins much of our work and ranges from payments digitalisation to digital economy diagnostics, and digital skills assessments to direct digitalisation support. Cenfri also collaborates with policymakers and other public and private sector stakeholders in data-driven decision-making that is calibrated to the data available and is designed to strengthen the existing skills and data governance processes within these organisations. The Rwanda Economy Digitalisation Programme is our flagship evidence-informed policymaking and data-for-decisions intervention, but we have considerable experience in using evidence to generate insights and inform policymaking and business decision-making with a view to improved economic development outcomes. Our expertise in data, payments and digital identity enables us to contribute to current DPI (digital public infrastructure) conversations. |
The promise of open finance has led to a rapid proliferation in countries exploring implementation globally. However, it also comes with costs and risks—particularly as highly sensitive personal information is being made shareable. For African regulators and policymakers, open finance is an important emerging trend that requires a clear understanding
Ghana’s tourism industry presents an exciting landscape for growth, offering significant potential for youth employment and entrepreneurship. However, an effective digital presence is a prerequisite for competitiveness in the global tourism sector and in Ghana, digital technology adoption among tourism operators remains nascent. Data and digital technology increasingly enable tourism
Gaining speed: Rwanda’s economic momentum Vision 2050 is Rwanda’s blueprint for achieving prosperity; the country is aiming for an upper-middle-income status by 2035 and a high-income country status by 2050. The country’s journey from being a low-income nation at USD 1,040 currently to USD 4,036 by 2035 is an ambitious, yet
Data in isolation often tells only one part of the story. Sometimes, to gain a full picture, multiple datasets must be combined to incorporate different variables, uncovering insights that drive better decision-making. Merging two or more datasets is a powerful technique that enables organisations to analyse information stored in different
2025 is a pivotal year in global development, as we are only five years away from the current deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With slowing economic growth and other macroeconomic challenges putting pressure on already declining development aid, exacerbated by the recent steps by the US government to
As a Data Scientist, most of my time is spent wrangling data – dealing with inconsistent formatting, unstandardised data collection and unclear documentation (if documentation even exists). The frustration can be immense, that is, until you find a solution to your puzzle. Cenfri’s work in the Rwanda Economy Digitalisation Programme
At the end of November 2024, Cenfri had the opportunity to participate in the BIS Workshop on fostering financial inclusion through open finance in Basel. The event was jointly organised by the Financial Stability Institute (FSI) of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), CGAP, and the World Bank. It brought
As outlined in the discussion on developing a data strategy, the journey to becoming a data-driven organisation begins with a clear vision, practical objectives, and strong frameworks. Data governance plays a critical role in this transformation. Whether or not the data strategy has been finalised, the responsibility to protect and
To enhance the use of data for decision-making, it is important to develop not only individual data skills but also institutions that have embarked on a journey to data maturity. This note provides some guidance on the key components of an institutional data strategy and a summary of the core
Our work at Cenfri rarely follows the typical rhythms of the calendar year, yet, as 2024 draws to a close, we thought it would be good to reflect on what we’ve achieved. It’s been a busy few months: we’ve worked on around 50 projects and undertaken work-related travel to 19
Data can be used to improve policy decisions as well as to better understand the outcome of decisions taken. To enable this, policymakers need access to a spectrum of data that has been appropriately collected, cleaned, stored and analysed. And so, in phase 1 of the Rwanda Economy Digitalisation Programme,
