Equity Bank Rwanda has announced that a total of 246 top-performing high school graduates have been trained in leadership and financial literacy through its flagship Equity Leaders Program (ELP) over the past five years.
The most recent cohort, the fifth since the program began in Rwanda, includes 72 students who completed an intensive one-week bootcamp designed to equip them with financial knowledge, leadership skills, and workplace readiness.
Each year, the program selects the best two graduates from every district in the country, with more included in areas served by multiple Equity branches. Selected students benefit from mentorship, professional exposure, and structured internships within Equity Bank branches.
Renowned national figures, including Tito Rutaremara, Senator Usta Kaitesi, and Pastor Antoine Rutayisir, served as guest mentors during the latest training, engaging the scholars in discussions on leadership values, responsibility, and national development.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Hannington Namara, Managing Director of Equity Bank Rwanda, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to empowering future leaders:
“We know that the future belongs to the youth, and we want them to possess the right values, knowledge, and capabilities that enable them to seize the opportunities they have today in order to secure a better tomorrow. Our contribution is to shape leaders who truly understand what development means.”
He said the initiative is intended to go beyond academic qualifications and build the kind of leadership Rwanda needs. “The leaders we are building are those who will go beyond saying they have completed school. We want leaders who understand technology, who recognize opportunities and how finance works, and who can create jobs. We want the challenges Africa faces, unemployment, poverty, lack of industries, and underutilized resources, to become problems of the past.”He said.
Participants say the program has expanded their ambitions and confidence.
Isma Isaaka, one of the graduates, said he was inspired by the guest speakers:
“Senator Usta Kaitesi came here and spoke to us as a woman who studied, worked hard, and became highly influential. I saw myself in her story, and even if I don’t reach exactly where she is, I now believe I can become a strong leader.”
Ndamage Shema Eric, an alumnus from the fourth cohort, added that the program continues to shape his academic and professional journey. He said ELP improved his workplace behavior, professional mindset, and helped him build a strong network supporting both his studies and career growth.
The Equity Leaders Program was first launched in Kenya in 1998 and has since expanded across the region, supporting thousands of promising young people. In Rwanda, the initiative is steadily growing and positioning youth as key drivers of national transformation through leadership and financial empowerment.
