Makeshift wooden ladder bridges on duty due to ongoing corridor development works around Goro Square, offering a precarious route for pedestrians and shopgoers. As part of the city’s corridor upgrade, sidewalks are being rebuilt, but delays and the absence of accessible detours have forced residents to improvise. Business owners have been left to create temporary access for customers, while construction crews continue grading and excavation without marked pedestrian pathways.
Month: June 2025
BUSTED MYSTERY
As part of the city’s beautification project, a collapsed metal-sheet fence around the Kkare building in Mexico Square reveals dusty roads and disorganised structures behind the polished façade. While intended to conceal construction zones, the fences have also become canvases for muralists adding bursts of colour and creativity to the transforming cityscape.
SHY FASHION
Shielded by sun, hidden from view, mannequins around the stadium stand veiled as new corridor rules ban storefront shades. A young shopper steps inside, guided more by curiosity than display. The restrictions are part of a broader city plan to standardise shopfront aesthetics along major corridors.
Education Authority Sanctions Mishqen College for Rule Violations
The Education & Training Authority has issued a decisive directive last week, mandating legal action against Mishqen College for persistently defying regulatory orders and unlawfully continuing to offer higher education services.
Mishqen College had previously been licensed to conduct undergraduate distance learning programs across multiple regions from 2019 to 2022. However, after serious regulatory breaches, the institution was ordered to cease all instruction, complete pending academic commitments, transfer graduate records to an accredited body, and report its compliance. The college’s continued operation in violation of these mandates is now considered a weighty risk to public trust and institutional credibility in the education sector.
The Authority underscored its commitment to protecting students’ rights and restoring order in higher education. This move is expected to strengthen regulatory power, discourage illegal practices, and increase accountability in private institutions. The crackdown on Mishqen College sets a precedent for stricter oversight to prevent future violations and safeguard academic integrity.
Shared Power Bank Rental Service Launched
MyCharge Technology PLC officially launched its shared power bank rental service at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on May 30, 2025, under the theme Powering Digital Ethiopia.
Founded by DDF Group, the company offers a mobile app-based solution that allows users to rent power banks by scanning a QR code, use them on the go, and return them at any station. Since its soft launch, MyCharge has gained over 5,000 users and set up more than 60 locations across Addis Abeba.
MyCharge stations also function as digital advertising screens, offering marketing opportunities at events and public spaces. The company has introduced a franchise model to expand its network and plans to reach 150 stations by the end of the year, with a broader national rollout in sight. It is also preparing to enter the electric vehicle charging market.
As part of its “rent one, donate one” initiative, MyCharge donates one birr from every hour-long rental to charity, linking its services to a social impact model.
Dodai to Rollout Battery Swapping Stations to Accelerate E-Mobility
Dodai, an electric bike manufacturer, has announced an expansion plan to revolutionise urban transportation through battery-swapping infrastructure and local electric motorcycle production.
In an exclusive interview with Addis Fortune, Yuma Sasaki, CEO and founder of Dodai, said that his company plans to deploy 30 battery-swapping stations in six months, 100 within a year, and 400 in two years. These will enable rapid battery exchanges, boosting efficiency for both riders and service providers.
Yuma stated a data-driven, flexible approach to station placement, citing its experience with LUUP in Japan, which deployed over 30,000 e-scooter stations. The company admitted the difficulty of accurately predicting ideal locations from the start.
“This requires ongoing analysis and refinement using real-world data over three to four years,” Yuma said. “Still, our core strategy is to place stations near main roads, with sufficient parking, secure environments, and stable three-phase power of at least 20 kWh per site.
Each station will hold around 20 battery units; each expected to be swapped three to four times daily, in total 60 to 80 swaps per station per day, depending on capacity and efficiency.
According to Yuma, Dodai plans to produce 3,500 electric motorcycles in 2025. To build trust and strengthen institutional ties, it recently donated battery-less motorcycles to key city agencies, including the Addis Abeba Transport Bureau and police.
Off-Grid Solar Plants Light Up Afar and Gambella Communities
Ethiopian Electric Utility has commissioned two solar energy installations, collectively generating 400 kW of power, with the primary objective of delivering dependable electricity to remote and underserved communities in the Afar and Gambella regional states.
The projects, situated in Metehara (Afar) and Bada (Gambella), are now fully operational and ready to provide full service.
Executed by Chinese firms CET and NR Consortium, the projects harness advanced off-grid solar technology to remote communities. The Bada plant in Gambella comprises 558-watt solar panels and a generator capable of storing up to 250 kW through 600 battery cells. The Metehara installation in Afar incorporates 342 panels and a backup generator with a 150kW storage capacity, supported by 400 battery cells.
Beyond addressing energy scarcity, these projects are poised to catalyze socioeconomic transformation. They facilitate the creation of employment, improve access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and sanitation, and stimulate local economic activity by powering enterprises, market hubs, hospitality venues, retail outlets, and various service providers.
The combined cost of the two installations amounts to approximately 960,000 dollars and 13.34 million Br, jointly financed by the African Development Bank and the Government of Ethiopia.
To date, seven of the envisaged 25 solar energy projects have already commenced operations in the Somali, Oromia, South, and South-West Ethiopia regional states.
First E-Consultation Portal Launched for Draft Laws
Ministry of Innovation & Technology has launched an e-consultation portal, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and GIZ, the German development agency. The platform enables citizens and institutions to submit feedback on draft laws and pave ways for public involvement in lawmaking,.
At the launch event, speaker of the parliament, Tagesse Chafo, emphasised the importance of involving the public and stakeholders in legal processes to uphold constitutional values and build accountability. He noted that such engagement enhances the legitimacy and enforce-ability of laws.
Minister for Justice, Hanna Arayaselassie, stated that the system is accessible to all, including people with special needs, and is designed to operate at both federal and regional levels. She noted that the portal saves time, increases participation, and gathers more inclusive input from across sectors.
The portal marks the country’s first effort to use electronic methods for nationwide legal consultations, setting a precedent for digital governance in lawmaking.
Council of Ministers Approves Key Economic and Legislative Measures
The Council of Ministers has approved the 2018–2022 Medium-Term Macroeconomic and Fiscal Framework, which will guide next year’s budget, focusing on strategic revenue generation and resource allocation.
Two international financing agreements were also endorsed: a 49.55 million dollar loan from the Arab Bank for African Economic Development to support youth employment around agro-industrial parks, and a 45.1 million Special Drawing Right (SDR) loan from the International Development Association to improve healthcare services for women and girls. Both are aligned with the national debt management strategy and will be sent to parliament for ratification.
In labour and regulatory matters, the Council ratified a new regulation setting service fees for foreign employment agencies, aiming to balance affordability with cost recovery. It also referred two draft proclamations to parliament: a revised foreign employment law to protect Ethiopian workers abroad, and a Plant Protection and Quarantine Proclamation to modernise pest control systems and align plant trade with global standards.
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