Hon. Prudence Sebahizi

Mr. Prudence Sebahizi was appointed Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry on 16th August 2024. He has more than 20 years of working experience in International Trade, Regional Integration & Policy Development, and has been extensively involvement in a wide range of development areas including global governance, leadership, international trade negotiations, regional integration, international relations, government policy formulation and more.

He has long-term experience in working with International Organizations and Regional Economic Communities on negotiations and implementation including the African Continental Free Trade Area – AfCFTA.

From 2022 to 2024 he was Director for Institutional Matters and Programmes Coordination at the AfCFTA Secretariat, Accra, Ghana. He also served as Chief Technical Advisor on AfCFTA and Head of the AfCFTA Unit/Interim Secretariat, at the African Union Commission. He led the process of AfCFTA negotiations since 2015.

Mr. Sebahizi advised the Government of Rwanda in the areas of International Trade and Regional Integration while working with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Office of the President, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation respectively.

He was Rwanda’s Chief Negotiator in the negotiations of the EAC Common Market Protocol since 2006. He was also a member of the team of Experts appointed by the EAC Summit to advise Heads of State on the way forward for EAC Political Integration in 2010. He was also a member of the High-Level negotiations on Rwanda’s accession to the East African Community (EAC) in 2006.

He holds a Master’s Degree in International Development Policy from Seoul National University – SNU (Graduate School of International Studies – GSIS), South Korea.