This grant is encapsulated in an agreement signed between the National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) on March 26, 2024.

The grant will assist these companies in purchasing modern equipment and in training their staff to use this equipment, in order to increase the value and quality of the products they bring to the market.

The grant agreement is the second part, supplementing another agreement signed in 2018 valued at $400,000. The initial grant was allocated to companies involved in garment manufacturing and those processing products derived from bananas.

NIRDA’s management stated that the first grant helped in improving the garment manufacturing sector, but it was deemed necessary to provide additional support to banana-based processing companies to further enhance the value of their products.

The Acting Head of department in charge of technology transfer and commercialization at NIRDA, Emmanuel Mutabazi, mentioned that the initial grant was provided by KOICA but overseen by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in terms of implementation.

After utilizing the first grant effectively, NIRDA signed another agreement to receive further support without the need for oversight on its utilization.

Mutabazi also explained why NIRDA chose to direct the second part of the grant specifically towards enhancing the banana-based beverage industry.

He stated, “We have supported various industries, about ten, but the reason we are now focusing on banana processing is that we want to add value to it. Bananas are one of the highly available crops in Rwanda. We want our industries to produce high-quality, sophisticated beverages that can compete with other imported wines.”

KOICA’s Country Director, Kim Jinhwa, expressed their satisfaction in providing additional support through NIRDA and their anticipation for further industrial development.

Kim said, “KOICA is pleased to support the initiatives linked to another agreement we had, which has been implemented. Our approach is to conduct regular reviews after implementing agreements with the government. Every five years, if we find that there are needs for further support and the beneficiaries are willing, we can allocate a budget for it.”

She continued, “NIRDA specifically requested the replacement of obsolete equipment with new, technologically advanced ones. This will be complemented by technical support and the provision of these equipment. We are happy to support the provision of these equipment and are confident that it will enable our industries to operate more efficiently.”

Furthermore, NIRDA’s management mentioned that in an effort to further enhance the value of banana wine, a yeast they developed last year is set to used.

This is because the yeast was developed after studying the composition of banana wine, unlike other yeasts imported from outside the country, which are produced without such considerations.

This grant is encapsulated in an agreement signed between the National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) on March 26, 2024.

KOICA's Country Director, Kim Jinhwa, expressed their satisfaction in providing additional support through NIRDA and their anticipation for further industrial development.

Mutabazi also explained why NIRDA chose to direct the second part of the grant specifically towards enhancing the banana-based beverage industry.