KIGALI – In a landmark event for the nation’s extractive industry, 2,150 mineworkers were officially certified on December 4, 2025, during the Rwanda Mining Week at the RP-Kigali College Stadium.
The ceremony, marking the graduation of the fourth and largest cohort of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program, represents a significant step toward professionalizing a workforce that has long relied on informal learning.
Bridging the Skills Gap
The Rwanda mining sector employs approximately 92,000 workers, yet a significant majority lack formal education, leading to skills mismatches and limiting their professional mobility.
The RPL program is led by the Rwanda Extractive Industry Workers Union (REWU) in collaboration with the Rwanda TVET Board (RTB), RMB, MIFOTRA, universities, mining associations, and development partners including the World Bank and the European Union.
This year’s assessment tested workers in critical technical areas, including mine blasting, drilling, railway installation, ore extraction, underground mine support, and mineral washing. Of the successful graduates, 1,907 are men and 243 are women, all of whom demonstrated strong practical skills and industry knowledge during the assessment.
Dignity and Career Mobility
For the graduates, the certification serves as a powerful tool for career advancement and personal dignity.
Wellars Nsengiyumva, a miner from Ruhango District with 15 years of experience, expressed that the certificate validates years of undocumented labor.
“Working without a certificate made it hard to prove the skills we had. Now our knowledge has value. With this certificate, if I need to move to another company, it will speak for me,” Nsengiyumva said.
Devota Uwizeyimana, a miner with 11 years of experience, echoed this sentiment, stating that the certification offers confidence to those who thought they could not advance due to a lack of formal schooling.
A Celebration of Industry and Sport
The graduation festivities extended to the pitch with the final match of the Rwanda Mining Football Competition 2025. In a commanding performance, Rutongo Mines FC defeated CEMINYAKI 5-0 to be crowned champions of the tournament. The match served as a broader celebration of the workforce, blending athletic achievement with the professional recognition of the 2,150 miners.
Stakeholder Support and Economic Impact
The initiative is supported by a coalition of partners, including the World Bank through the Priority Skills for Growth and Youth Empowerment (PSGYE) program, the European Union, Bank of Kigali, the Danish Trade Union Development Agency (DTDA) among Others.
Alice Uwase, CEO of the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB), emphasized that skills provide dignity and give employers the confidence to reward workers fairly.
“Someone can steal your money, even destroy your house, but no one can take away the knowledge you have. Skills give dignity, and they give employers confidence to reward you fairly.”
She also reminded mining companies of their duty to provide employment contracts, fair pay, and safe working conditions.
Eng. Andre Mutsindashyaka, Secretary General of REWU, highlighted that RPL is essential for poverty reduction, as it enables workers to sign formal contracts and access labor protections like pension schemes.
“Over 80,000 miners had no document proving their skills. If a miner moved from one site to another, it was almost impossible to verify what he or she could do. RPL certification solves that problem.” Eng. Mutsindashyaka said.
He added that the certificates pave the way for workers to sign formal contracts, access to the labor market, join pension schemes, and access stronger labour protections.
“This is how we reduce poverty, by giving miners the recognition and legal status they deserve. Mining is advancing with new technologies, and our workers now have the competencies to keep up.”
European Union Ambassador to Rwanda, Belén Calvo Uyarra underscored the program’s impact on inclusion, fairness, and resilience.
“Today we celebrate much more than certificates. We celebrate empowerment and stronger communities. RPL values skills earned through years of hard work, often in hazardous conditions.”
She described the program as a model of successful collaboration among government, unions, private companies, and development partners.
Eng. Paul Umukunzi, Director General of the Rwanda TVET Board, said the government plans to extend RPL to all major occupational sectors.
“More than 52,000 people have already benefited across different professions. The goal is to empower youth and workers in hospitality, construction, carpentry, and many other fields.”
Mining remains a cornerstone of the national economy, having generated a record $1.75 billion in 2024. With this latest cohort, the total number of miners certified since the program’s inception in 2022 has reached 4,850, marking a decisive shift toward a more skilled and equitable industry.
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