Environment Minister Dr. Bernadette Arakwiye (2nd left), oversaw the initiative with One Acre Fund Rwanda Chief Executive Officer Belinda Bwiza, Rwanda Forestry Authority Director General Dr. Concorde Nsengumuremyi and Kigali Vice Mayor Dusabimana Fulgence.
KIGALI — One Acre Fund Rwanda (Tubura), in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, the Rwanda Forestry Authority (RFA) and the City of Kigali, has launched the Kigali Modern Tree Nursery, a state-of-the-art facility expected to produce more than one million high-quality tree seedlings annually to support urban greening, climate resilience and landscape restoration.
Located on a 1.4-hectare site in Busanza, Kicukiro District, the nursery expands One Acre Fund’s nationwide tree programme, which already includes five modern nurseries and more than 2,000 decentralized community nurseries.
The facility was officially inaugurated on June 30 following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between One Acre Fund Rwanda, RFA and the City of Kigali under the national tree-planting campaign, “Igiti Cyanjye, Umurage Wanjye” (“My Tree, My Legacy”).
The agreement was signed by One Acre Fund Rwanda Chief Executive Officer Belinda Bwiza, Rwanda Forestry Authority Director General Dr. Concorde Nsengumuremyi and Kigali Vice Mayor Dusabimana Fulgence.
The partners say the project comes at a time when Rwanda, despite increasing its forest cover to more than 30 percent, faces mounting pressure from rapid urbanization, climate change, land degradation and growing demand for timber and firewood.
In Kigali, inadequate tree cover has contributed to rising temperatures, flooding and the loss of green spaces, while access to quality seedlings has struggled to keep pace with demand.
(Right to Left) One Acre Fund Rwanda Chief Executive Officer Belinda Bwiza, Rwanda Forestry Authority Director General Dr. Concorde Nsengumuremyi and Kigali Vice Mayor Dusabimana Fulgence.
Speaking at the launch, Belinda Bwiza said the nursery represents a long-term investment in Rwanda’s climate resilience.
“The Kigali Modern Tree Nursery is a shared investment in a resilient future. By combining our strengths, we are doing more than planting trees—we are building the systems that will provide every farmer with the quality, diverse planting materials they need to thrive for generations to come,” she said.
She noted that although One Acre Fund has traditionally focused on rural districts, expanding into Kigali was a natural step as cities increasingly experience the effects of climate change.
The nursery will produce fruit trees, agroforestry species, indigenous trees, forest trees and ornamental plants to support urban greening, improve food security and restore degraded landscapes.
According to One Acre Fund, the facility is equipped with climate-controlled greenhouses, automated drip irrigation systems and a seed quality laboratory established in partnership with the Rwanda Forestry Authority. It will also serve as a centre for participatory research with farmers and phytosanitary protection.
Once fully operational, the nursery will produce more than one million seedlings every year, benefit over 10,000 farmers and create more than 100 seasonal jobs while supplying diverse tree species for Kigali and surrounding areas.
RFA Director General Dr. Concorde Nsengumuremyi said the project would help address shortages of quality tree seeds and seedlings ahead of Rwanda’s annual forestry planting season beginning in September.
“It will contribute to increasing tree cover, improving air quality, beautifying the city and helping reduce rising temperatures,” he said.
Environment Minister Dr. Bernadette Arakwiye described the nursery as a centre of innovation and best practice that will improve the availability of quality seedlings for urban landscaping, forestry and ecosystem restoration.
Plans are also underway to establish a 21-hectare research and training centre adjacent to the nursery, where improved tree varieties suited to different ecological zones will be developed while providing training and technical support on tree production and management.
Since 2016, One Acre Fund Rwanda has distributed more than 145 million trees across the country. This year alone, the organization expects to reach more than one million farmers with 30 million agroforestry trees, 800,000 fruit trees and 2.5 million coffee seedlings, reinforcing Rwanda’s efforts to build climate-resilient communities through tree-based agriculture.
