President William Ruto speaks during the High-Level Convening on the ‘Accra Reset’ on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22, 2026/ PCSPresident William Ruto has said Africa must play a greater role in developing the technologies shaping the 21st century and in contributing to the rules governing them.
Ruto said Africa should not only adopt technologies developed elsewhere but also build technologies that define the century.
“Africa must be a builder of the technologies defining this century and a contributor to the rules that govern them,” Ruto said.
He made the remarks during the High-Level Convening on the ‘Accra Reset’ held during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Ruto said Kenya’s leadership of the MasterKey Corridor, which connects trusted African skills and credentials to opportunities across borders, was affirmed during the convening.
“At the High-Level Convening on the ‘Accra Reset’ during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, I affirmed Kenya’s leadership of the MasterKey Corridor, connecting trusted African skills and credentials to opportunities across borders,” he said.
Ruto said Africa’s task was to organise its capabilities at scale and strengthen its technological agency.
He said this would require efforts to turn innovation into greater productivity, new enterprises and opportunities for Africans.
“Our task is to organise Africa’s capabilities at scale, strengthen our technological agency and translate innovation into greater productivity, new enterprises and opportunity for our people,” Ruto said.
He said the Accra Reset provides a platform through which Africa can advance this ambition.
Ruto said the initiative should help ensure that technological progress contributes to shared prosperity.
“The Accra Reset provides a practical platform to advance this ambition and ensure that technological progress delivers shared prosperity,” he said.
The President placed technology, innovation and skills at the centre of his call for greater African participation in shaping the systems that will define the century.
He also linked the continent’s technological ambitions to productivity, enterprise creation and opportunities for its people.
