Rwanda is targeting a shortage of advanced cybersecurity skills by bringing MTN Rwanda and Airtel Rwanda into efforts to prepare professionals for jobs protecting the country’s digital infrastructure.

Agreements signed on Oct. 22 with the National Cyber Security Authority (NCSA) will connect training at the national CyberHub centre with the practical demands of telecommunications and digital services.

The initiative comes as industry representatives warn that Rwanda has too few professionals with advanced cybersecurity qualifications.

By involving two major telecom operators, the government is seeking to close the gap between technical education and the skills companies need to secure networks, information systems and mobile financial services.

The partnerships also expand the role of employers in developing Rwanda’s cybersecurity workforce. Internships and industry-aligned training could give students and graduates practical experience before entering the labour market, although the scale of the skills shortage remains unclear because no official figure was available for this report.

Employers take a bigger role in skills development

MTN Rwanda will help adapt cybersecurity training programmes to match employers’ requirements, while Airtel Rwanda will provide internship opportunities in networking, information technology, enterprise solutions and mobile financial services.

The arrangements are designed to give CyberHub students and graduates exposure to workplace operations and help them apply their technical knowledge in professional settings.

For telecom operators, participation connects workforce development with the security needs of businesses running increasingly important digital services.

The partnerships reflect Rwanda’s wider push to strengthen cybersecurity through cooperation between government, education providers and private companies. The NCSA is responsible for aligning the initiative with industry requirements.

CyberHub targets 200 trainees each year

CyberHub, Rwanda’s national cybersecurity training and innovation centre, opened in October 2025 at the College of Science and Technology at the University of Rwanda in Kigali. It aims to train up to 200 participants annually, with women accounting for at least 30% of enrolments.

The programme builds on efforts to expand technical teaching capacity. In September 2026, 24 technical and vocational education and training instructors completed a specialised 10-day course involving the NCSA, the Rwanda TVET Board and the International Labour Organization.

The need for more advanced expertise was highlighted at a Kigali conference on Oct. 5–6, 2026, where representatives of the ISACA Rwanda Chapter raised concerns about the limited number of cybersecurity professionals with advanced qualifications.

Strategy links skills to national security

Rwanda’s 2024–2029 National Cybersecurity Strategy identifies skills development, specialised education and public-private partnerships as priorities.

The agreements with MTN Rwanda and Airtel Rwanda support that agenda by linking training to the operational requirements of companies managing telecommunications networks and digital services.

Whether the effort can meet employers’ needs will depend on the number of qualified professionals it ultimately helps bring into the workforce.