Benimana talks about the beginnings of a building boom in Rwanda very similar to what he witnessed in China while pursuing his degree in architecture two decades ago. “Shanghai, my new home, was quickly turning into a skyscraper city. China was changing. World-class projects were built to convey a new image of development. Modern, striking engineering marvels were going up literally everywhere”, he explains. Using this parallel between the two countries, the architect anticipates the challenge that the continent will face due to its rapid growth: “We have estimated that by 2050, we have to build 700,000,000 more housing units, more than 300,000 schools and nearly 100,000 health centers.”

With that in minds, Benimana thinks the solution would be to empower young African creative leaders who will design deeply rooted and globally inspiring infrastructure in African cities. “If we are to develop solutions unique to us, rather than attempting to turn Kigali into Beijing, or Lagos into Shenzhen, we need a community that will build the design confidence of the next generation of African architects and designers”, he says. Christian Benimana is driving the African Design Centre, a two-year fellowship program based in Kigali, Rwanda, where fellows engage in real projects.