Ethiopia Pushes to 7 Million Coders as Youth Digital Skills Program Expands
PM Abiy Unveils Second-Largest Airport Terminal in Bahir Dar
Benin’s Minister of Digital Transformation Visits Ethiopia to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation
NEWS IN BRIEF
Ethiopia
The Office of the Prime Minister hosted an experience-sharing program on the 5 Million Ethiopian Coders Initiative on Monday (August 10), bringing together graduates, industry leaders, policymakers, and young professionals. The event followed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s call to Ethiopian youth to make productive use of the summer break. (See article)
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurated the new terminal at Bahir Dar’s Dejazmach Belay Zeleke International Airport on Thursday (August 6). He was joined by First Lady Zinash Tayachew, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, and Speaker of the House of Federation Agegnehu Teshager. (See article)
State Ministers for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Hadera Abera and Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye joined the official launch of the 2018 E.C. Summer Volunteer Service and Green Legacy Initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its affiliated institutions in Afar on Wednesday (August 12). Together with communities in Afar, the initiative is undertaking the construction of 10 homes for vulnerable families and one kindergarten, providing educational materials, and planting trees under the theme “Let Us Plant Hope.”
On the same day, Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye signed an agreement with the Afar National Regional Government to ensure the timely and quality completion of the 10 homes and kindergarten being constructed by the Ministry and its affiliated institutions.
Mahuna Akplogan, Minister of Digital Transformation and Innovation of the Republic of Benin, led a high-level delegation to Ethiopia from August 4 to 8. The visit gave the delegation a chance to learn from Ethiopia’s experience in digital transformation and to explore areas where the two countries could work more closely, particularly in digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, digital identification, cybersecurity, and drone technology. (See article)
Africa and the African union
African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on Tuesday (August 11) hosted the quarterly working luncheon with UNSC Permanent Members (P5) and African Members of the Council(A3) accredited to the AU. Discussions covered key peace, security and humanitarian issues, including AUSSOM in Somalia, the situation in Sudan, developments in the Sahel, Great Lakes, Ebola and UN Security Council reform. Ambassadors welcomed the consultations as a valuable platform for strategic coordination between the AU and UNSC on international peace and security.
Ethiopia Pushes to 7 Million Coders as Youth Digital Skills Program Expands
The Office of the Prime Minister hosted an experience-sharing program on the 5 Million Ethiopian Coders Initiative on Monday (August 10), bringing together graduates, industry leaders, policymakers, and young professionals. The event followed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s call to Ethiopian youth to make productive use of the summer break.
The Prime Minister had urged young people to seize the opportunity to build digital skills through the free 5 Million Coders courses, which offer internationally recognized certification. More than five million Ethiopians have already registered, and the initiative is now pushing to expand participation to seven million youth – making the summer break a key window for those who haven’t yet enrolled.
The exchange program opened with a keynote from Billene Seyoum, Head of the Press Secretariat at the Office of the Prime Minister. She framed youth technical capability as a vital national asset and reaffirmed the Premier’s call to reach seven million coders this summer.
Billene said the Medemer government has, over the past several years, expanded digital services while also investing in digital infrastructure, developing digital skills, and building institutions aligned with the Digital Ethiopia 2025 Strategy and its successor, Digital Ethiopia 2030. The institution hosting the event, she noted, was established six years ago as part of a forward-looking effort to anticipate Ethiopia’s future and identify where the country could leapfrog. She pointed to Ethiopia’s Artificial Intelligence policy and the construction of the first AI university in Africa as evidence of this preparation.
She described the 5 Million Coders Initiative as a major national effort to prepare young people for digital-based education, employment, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The original target- five million coders within three years – was reached in just two. That milestone prompted PM Abiy’s June call to raise the bar to seven million, and Billene urged those not yet registered to join.
Digital skills, she said, can unlock better jobs, including remote work with international companies, while strengthening Ethiopia’s workforce and making the country more attractive to global investors. Their applications span agriculture, health, education, finance, tourism, manufacturing, and beyond. She pushed participants not to chase certificates for their own sake, but to use their skills to solve real problems in their communities. August and the rainy season, she added, are an ideal window to register, complete the free courses, and grow into problem-solvers who can contribute to their communities and the country. The certificates, she reminded the audience, carry international recognition and she encouraged graduates to bring their peers along.
A panel discussion followed, featuring four speakers: Abiyot Bayu, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Innovation and Technology; Betelhem Dessie, founder and CEO of Gheeroo; Mahlet Seyoum, a graduate now working in the tech industry; and Azmeraw Taddese, a graduate who built a website dedicated to the training program.
Their discussion converged on a few key points:
- Digital skills are essential to Ethiopia’s digital transformation and inclusive economic growth
- Human capital matters as much as digital infrastructure
- The initiative has widened access to foundational programming, AI, and data science skills
- Coding builds problem-solving and systems-level thinking, not just technical knowledge
- Young people should apply their skills to real-world problems rather than treat certificates as the end goal
Panelists also stressed the need for continuous learning as technology and AI reshape the job market and noted that digital skills can create opportunities regardless of location, academic background, or professional field.
The exchange reaffirmed the 5 Million Ethiopian Coders Initiative as a driver of Ethiopia’s digital talent, opportunity for its youth, and broader national transformation.
PM Abiy Unveils Second-Largest Airport Terminal in Bahir Dar
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurated the new terminal at Bahir Dar’s Dejazmach Belay Zeleke International Airport on Thursday (August 6). He was joined by First Lady Zinash Tayachew, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, and Speaker of the House of Federation Agegnehu Teshager.
Addressing officials, community elders, and residents at the inauguration, PM Abiy highlighted Bahir Dar’s rich history and exceptional natural beauty. He noted the city’s longstanding role as a trade bridge connecting areas such as Shewa and Welega with the northern parts of the country, including Gondar, for more than a century.
Reflecting on the achievement, the Prime Minister said the project represents more than an upgrade to airport infrastructure, describing the new terminal as a symbol of resilience, recovery, and forward-looking investment.
He also pointed to recent developments including the Gorgora Resort, Felge Ghion, and improvements to maritime transport on Lake Tana, noting their potential to strengthen tourism in the area. Public investment, paired with growing private-sector initiatives, he explained, is improving access to the region’s historical islands and cultural heritage sites, creating new opportunities to develop Bahir Dar and the wider Lake Tana area as tourism destinations.
Beyond tourism, the Prime Minister pointed to broader infrastructure and urban development underway in Bahir Dar, including an industrial park, high-quality intra-city road designs, iconic bridges, ongoing corridor development, and a new stadium.
He described the new terminal, now the second-largest airport terminal in the country after Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, as a major achievement for Ethiopian Airlines, the Amhara Region, and Ethiopia as a whole. At the same time, he stressed that sustaining and building on these investments would require continued attention to two fundamental priorities: strengthening municipal revenue and preserving regional peace.
The expanded terminal increases passenger capacity and modernizes the airport’s surrounding infrastructure, with upgraded aircraft facilities, improved access roads, and enhanced passenger amenities. Together with ongoing urban transformation projects across Bahir Dar, the facility strengthens the city’s position as a key hub for domestic and international air travel.
Benin’s Minister of Digital Transformation Visits Ethiopia to Strengthen Bilateral Cooperation
Mahuna Akplogan, Minister of Digital Transformation and Innovation of the Republic of Benin, led a high-level delegation to Ethiopia from August 4 to 8. The visit gave the delegation a chance to learn from Ethiopia’s experience in digital transformation and to explore areas where the two countries could work more closely, particularly in digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, digital identification, cybersecurity, and drone technology.
During their stay, the delegation visited several Ethiopian institutions including MESOB, Ethiopian Digital ID Service (Fayda), the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, Ethiopian Air Force, Ethiopian Defense Engineering, City Mayor of Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines, Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration, NISS and INSA. Through these engagements, the delegation gained a closer understanding of Ethiopia’s efforts to expand digital government services, develop indigenous technology and strengthen its digital infrastructure. The discussions also provided an opportunity to exchange experiences and identify areas where the two sides could benefit from each other’s expertise.
Digital and drone technologies emerged as some of the most promising areas for cooperation. The Beninese delegation showed particular interest in how MESOB, Fayda, the AI Institute, and INSA work together, noting the importance of such coordination in advancing digital transformation. A visit to Ethiopia’s drone manufacturing facility also drew considerable attention, opening discussions on possible cooperation in drone technology, cybersecurity, indigenous technology development, digital transformation, and capacity building.
The partnership between the two countries is being built around the principle of co-development, with both sides seeking to share experiences, learn from each other, and build on their respective strengths. The Beninese side expressed interest in drawing on Ethiopia’s experience while adapting relevant lessons to its own national context and developing practical solutions together. The delegation also emphasized the potential for a mutually beneficial, win-win partnership, expressing readiness to pursue formal cooperation — including a proposed Memorandum of Understanding in the defense sector, and broader cooperation in digital public infrastructure with institutions such as Fayda, MESOB, the AI Institute, and INSA.
The visit marked a useful step in broadening Ethiopia-Benin relations into new areas of technology and innovation. More importantly, the discussions moved beyond simply sharing experiences to identifying practical areas for continued engagement. With the proposed defense MoU and expanded digital cooperation now on the table, the two countries have laid concrete groundwork for turning this visit into a lasting partnership.
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