National Reform Fosters Technological Innovation

Addis Ababa, April 2, 2025 (ENA) -- The Ministry of Innovation and Technology has announced that national reform has established an enabling environment for innovation and technology.

The Ministry emphasized that following the national reform since April 2018, an enabling environment has been created, leading to remarkable achievements in the sector.

Ministry of Innovation and Technology in collaboration with Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) held panel discussion on the 7^th years of national reform in the sector.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Innovation and Technology State Minister Bayissa Bedada noted that prior to the national reform; there was no conducive environment for the sector.

However, various initiatives have since been undertaken, including policy amendments and the launch of "Digital Ethiopia 2025," which aims to address sectoral challenges in alignment with the country's ten-year national plan, he stated.

According to the state minister, one of the major milestones of the reform has been the opening of the sector to private investment, which was previously restricted.

This shift has allowed foreign operators such as Safaricom Ethiopia to enter the market, significantly improving service quality, competition, accessibility, and infrastructure development, he added.

He also emphasized human resource development as a crucial aspect of the enabling environment. Previously, inadequate focus on human capital hindered the nation's ability to fully benefit from the sector.

 

Post-reform, the government has prioritized youth digital skills development, recognizing Ethiopia's large youth population and the need for talent cultivation in the industry, the state minister noted.

According to Bayissa, the startup ecosystem has also seen substantial growth and startup capital has surged from the previous 6 million to 303 million, out of a total of 513 startups.

In terms of job creation, employment in the sector has risen dramatically from 148 to 30,422 and the number of entrepreneurs has increased from 50 to 2,000, with 10,000 founders actively engaged.

Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) Director General Abdisa Yilma also acknowledged the government's increased focus on the sector.

 

Ethiopia has made significant strides in space science, launching two satellites in the past seven years and developing a third, he stated.

The utilization of satellite data has led to the establishment of nine monitoring centers serving various sectors, including crop monitoring, disaster management, and urban planning, the director general said, adding these advancements have contributed to national capacity building and improved decision-making processes.

In terms of human resource development, the institute, in collaboration with Ethiopian higher education institutions, has successfully graduated 20 PhD holders and 40 master's degree recipients in various fields of space science over the past seven years, he added.

According to the officials, the national reform has played a transformative role in fostering innovation, technology growth, and human capital development, positioning Ethiopia for further advancements in the sector.