By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Ethiopia is expanding its
national digital skills ambitions, with the government targeting the training
of 7 million coders as it seeks to build a workforce capable of driving
innovation, entrepreneurship and participation in the global digital economy.
The expanded target was
highlighted during an experience-sharing event on the 5 Million Ethiopian
Coders Initiative held at the Office of the Prime Minister.
Silabat Manaye Dessalegn,
Director of Digital Diplomacy at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said
the country’s digital development strategy must move beyond training and focus
on creating opportunities for young people to apply their skills to real-world
challenges.
He described digital skills,
connectivity, entrepreneurship and enabling policies as key components of an
ecosystem capable of transforming Ethiopia’s demographic potential into
economic value.
According to Dessalegn, the
success of the coding initiative should not be measured solely by the number of
young people who complete training, but also by what graduates go on to build,
innovate, export and transform.
He called for greater
support for young digital professionals to develop solutions in sectors
including agriculture, financial technology, healthcare and logistics.
The initiative also aims to
connect trained talent with investment opportunities, startup hubs and
remote-work infrastructure, creating pathways from digital skills development
to employment and entrepreneurship.
Dessalegn further stressed
the need for Ethiopian digital talent to develop solutions not only for the
domestic market but also for export across Africa and international markets.
The expansion from the 5
Million Ethiopian Coders target to 7 million reflects Ethiopia’s broader
ambition to build a large-scale digital workforce and strengthen the country’s
position in the emerging digital economy.
The government’s next
challenge, however, will be converting the growing pool of trained young people
into productive entrepreneurs, technology professionals and exporters of
digital services.
