Young aspiring entrepreneurs in Rwanda are pinning much of their hopes on the use of information technology to innovate, spur business development and help create jobs.

This was the main issue discussed during a YouthConnekt Hangout session hosted this week.

YouthConnekt is an initiative devised and introduced by the country's Ministry of Youth and ICT (MYICT), in partnership with UNDP, ADMA, Tigo and HeHe Labs, as a digital forum for discussion about the country's economy and aspects like employment and business development.

Maria Kamikazi is the founder and chief executive officer of Angaza Ltd., a company that turns waste into valuable products. She started a company that collects wastes around Kigali, Rwanda and turns them into various fashion wear and other products.

She advised youth to embrace entrepreneurship without fear of failure and try to always look for solutions.

Kamikazi shares the same views with Robert Mwesigwa, Executive Secretary of National Youth Council, who has called on the youth to "never fail to try as young entrepreneurs."

Mwesigwa added that youth should not fear to start business on a shoe-string budget saying that "even big companies started small".

Mwesigwa advises youth to adopt the saving culture and join their efforts to be able to create jobs, and strive for development.

ICT contributed 2% to Rwanda's gross domestic product (GDP) over two quarters in 2014, according to the MYICT.

According to the 2015 Global Information Technology Report (GITR), compiled by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Rwanda was ranked in first place in government success in ICT promotion to drive social and economic transformation.

In April Rwanda's minister of youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana commented, "Rwanda continues to be one of the fastest growing African countries in ICT and there are several avenues for growth for the ICT sector – from e-commerce and e-services, mobile technologies, applications development and automation to becoming a regional centre for the training of top quality ICT professionals and research. A robust ICT industry creates wealth, jobs and entrepreneurs."