ADDIS ABABA— Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Thursday championed Ethiopia’s role as Africa’s “AI Champion,” while his government announced a $4.85 billion reduction in the national import bill through aggressive local substitution.
Addressing the African Union, Abiy—who was recently named AU Champion for Artificial Intelligence—reiterated plans to launch a dedicated AI university in Addis Ababa.
He emphasized that the continent must “translate vision into action” to avoid being left behind by the global technological revolution.
Domestically, Industry Minister Melaku Alebel reported that Ethiopia has successfully substituted nearly $5 billion worth of imported goods with locally manufactured alternatives over the past nine months.
The achievement is seen as a vital win for Abiy’s “Homegrown Economic Reform” agenda, even as the National Election Board faces budget shortfalls ahead of upcoming polls, where over 50 million citizens have already registered to vote.
