Kagame Challenges Africans to Match Words With Action

By Tangeni Aug 26, 2026

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has challenged Africans to look beyond identifying the continent’s problems and finding solutions, saying real progress will only come when people change the way they think, behave and act.

Kagame made the remarks on Tuesday at the inaugural Africa Mindset Reset Forum 2026 in Kigali, where African leaders, policymakers, young people and former heads of state gathered to discuss the continent’s future.“We have to change our continent, but we can’t change our continent without changing our behavior, our way of doing things, our attitudes,” Kagame said.

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His message focused on what he described as a major gap between what Africans say they want for the continent and what they are prepared to do to achieve it.

According to Kagame, Africa has spent years discussing its challenges and proposing solutions, but discussions alone will not transform the continent.

He said Africans must take greater responsibility for turning ideas into action rather than continuing to wait for outside assistance.

The forum, organised by the African School of Governance under the theme “From Pan-Africanism to Meta-Africanism,” attracted more than 2,500 participants at the Kigali Convention Centre, with thousands more following the discussions online.

Kagame’s intervention places the issue of African development not only on governments and institutions, but also on individual attitudes, leadership and accountability.

For a continent that continues to grapple with unemployment, poverty, weak institutions and economic inequality, the Rwandan leader’s argument is that development requires more than policies on paper.

It also requires people and institutions to change how they approach their responsibilities.

His remarks have since attracted significant attention online, with many praising the emphasis on personal responsibility and the need to close the gap between promises and action.

The Africa Mindset Reset Forum continues in Kigali, with discussions focused on developing a new generation of African leadership and rethinking how the continent approaches its future.