Toward a Developmental State in Africa: On Rwanda’s Developmentally-Oriented Leadership and Capable Public Administration

In the past decade, many governments around the world have strayed neoliberal prescriptions to get closer to the East Asian governance model – the developmental state. Rwanda, which becomes a model for rapid socio-economic development in Africa, is considered as one of these states that take its inspiration from East Asia. Using an adapted theoretical framework and a rich dataset, we investigate whether the actions of the Rwandan state compare with the East Asian ideal-typical developmental state. Our analysis indicates that post-2000 Rwanda possesses two central features of the developmental state: a developmentally-oriented leadership and an efficient public administration that proved capable to implement its ambitious vision. We elaborate on the transformation of the development paradigm in Rwanda that goes beyond its ultra-market-friendly approach and its welcoming private sector environment. Our findings suggest that it is possible to reproduce the developmental state model today, leaving room for context-dependent adaptations.