
Commentaries | Apr 26,2025
Nov 25 , 2019
By Tibebu Bekele
Two events that happened last week need to get more attention, as they may point a way out of Ethiopia’s predicament. Both have to do with innovation and entrepreneurship.
Ethiopian Minister of Innovation & Technology Getahun Mekuria (PhD) gave a press conference announcing that the country’s first satellite will be launched next month. He said it would be used for earth observatory purposes as well as for mining, agriculture and environmental protection.
The other event was the 2019 Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS) that took place in Addis Abeba this year. At this Summit, there were some young Ethiopian entrepreneurs highlighting their companies who are doing amazing things in the intersections of the financial and technology world.
The excitement and energy of young, educated and bright Ethiopians who are optimistic about tomorrow and focused on building successful companies is so refreshing. To find young people that are bullish on Ethiopia is so encouraging.
It kindles hope that shows the way out of the quagmire the country is stuck in.
While there are an abundance of political entrepreneurs agitating the unemployed youth by pointing back to the injustices of history, there are very few economic entrepreneurs leading them to a bright future that provides them with meaningful employment. Better still, to pave the way for them to use their immense potential and creativity to build the top performing companies of tomorrow.
This is not just an Ethiopian problem. It is an African problem. Africa is a young continent. 60pc of its population is under the age of 25. There will be more than 830 million young people by 2050 in the continent. Many of them are unemployed and pushed to the periphery of their societies with little stake in the socioeconomic life of their countries.
This makes them ripe targets for those who want to use them as stepping stones to power. They become the young soldiers of endless revolutions and insurrections that do not bring lasting solutions for their problems. Their youthful energy and creativity is wasted in violence that decimates their countries, further deepening the vicious circle of poverty.
What young Africans need is sparks of hope and optimism for the future. They need mentors that show them practical ways of overcoming challenges by using their creativity, economic policy that makes room for them by making accessible entry points to the business world.
The socioeconomic engagement of young people is a sure sign of a developing economy. Their contribution to a country’s development is immense. They will be less likely to engage in destructive behaviors, both personal and societal. Governments in the continent have been slow in recognizing and responding to this with policy measures that open the door for young entrepreneurs.
From this vantage point, the financial technology summit that highlighted the achievements of many youthful CEO’s from Africa including some impressive ones from the host city itself is such a welcome sight. Some of the companies that these young Ethiopian entrepreneurs are running are very impressive indeed. That they could do all this in a city renowned for its poor information technology infrastructure is nothing short of miraculous.
Ethiopia is also a country with a strangling bureaucracy that is not friendly to startups and innovators. It is ranked 159 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business, according to the latest World Bank annual ratings.
The good thing is that the administration of Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has recognized that deficit and are working on a plan to improve it. That is why the other significant event, the launching of Ethiopia’s first satellite, is also encouraging.
The significance is not just the specific project, but more than that, it is the realisation by the government that the way out of deep economic problems requires innovation and the quick adaptation of technology.
Therefore, among all the gloomy political news, I was glad to hear of hopeful entrepreneurs and a government project betting on innovation.
PUBLISHED ON
Nov 25,2019 [ VOL
20 , NO
1021]
Commentaries | Apr 26,2025
Editorial | May 09,2020
Viewpoints | May 07,2022
View From Arada | Mar 09,2019
Radar | Jun 11,2024
Viewpoints | May 01,2020
Commentaries | Dec 24,2022
Sunday with Eden | Nov 02,2019
Fortune News | Feb 09,2019
Advertorials | Feb 12,2024
My Opinion | 128053 Views | Aug 14,2021
My Opinion | 124271 Views | Aug 21,2021
My Opinion | 122384 Views | Sep 10,2021
My Opinion | 120236 Views | Aug 07,2021
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
Apr 26 , 2025
Benjamin Franklin famously quipped that “nothing is certain but death and taxes....
Apr 20 , 2025
Mufariat Kamil, the minister of Labour & Skills, recently told Parliament that he...
Apr 13 , 2025
The federal government will soon require one year of national service from university...
Apr 6 , 2025
Last week, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group...
Apr 26 , 2025
Neway Magersa (Left), president of Sinqee Bank, shared a lighter moment at the Skylight Hotel on Africa Avenue and chuckled with Oromia Regi...
Apr 27 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
A controversial decision to clear a large tract of land in Addis Abeba's Wereda 1, around Flamingo and th...
Apr 27 , 2025 . By AKSAH ITALO
Key Takeaways A federal court dismissed Zewdinesh Getahun's ownership claim as time-barred, requir...
Apr 27 , 2025 . By AKSAH ITALO
Key Takeaways: Ethiopian drug makers are seeking unconditional guarantees from the state-owned Eth...