Day: April 21, 2024

Addis Ababa: The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Director General appreciated Ethiopia’s Regional Renewable Energy Integration.

The fourteenth session of the Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Ethiopian delegation, led by Minister of Water and Energy Habtamu Etefa and Ethiopian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Omar Hussien, participated at the assembly.

The final day of the Assembly focused on the topics of bankable renewable energy projects, Africa’s energy transition, the important roles of geothermal energy and green hydrogen, as well as the policy and skills needed to accelerate the energy transition.

Members also continued to convene to push collaboration and cooperation forward towards the tripled renewables target by 2030.

During the closing session of IRENA, Minister of Water and Energy Habtamu said, “We have also now prepared private-public partnership models that will increase the confidence of the private sector on actions taken by Ethiopia to increase private sector investment to foster bankability to expand solar, wind, and geothermal projects.”

He highlighted Ethiopia’s energy strategy, which exemplifies the commitment of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to harnessing renewable energy sources. “We are close to achieving our target of 100 percent renewable energy by 2030 to propel our economy forward and achieve energy independence.”

The Ethiopian government is committed to regional integration by sharing its energy with neighboring countries like Kenya, Djibouti, and others. This strategy is not only used to ensure our economy but also to secure regional peace and security, he concluded.

IRENA director general Raul Alfaro Pelico, Director of Knowledge, Policy, and Finance Center (KPFC) at IRENA, closed the plenary session, reflecting on the need for a new paradigm on bankability and project impact to de-risk investment, increase public-private partnerships, and accelerate collaborative efforts to catalyze a global shift like what the Ethiopian government does.

Raul noted that the energy transition is also expected to increase energy sector employment, with renewable energy jobs potentially tripling from the current 13.7 million to 40 million by 2050.

Investments in other energy transition-related technologies could result in a substantial increase in job opportunities. Raul also made note of the possible misalignment of future job opportunities owing to developmental and geographical disparities.

He called for just transition policies like tax credits, subsidies, grants, and public research and development to ensure that the misalignments do not become barriers to the renewable energy transition.

In the session, the participants explore the African Renewable Power Alliance (APRA) and its strategy for boosting renewable energy in Africa through international collaboration.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia’s industrial parks have produced more than 200 million USD worth of goods that replace imports, Industrial Parks Development Cooperation (IPDC) announced.

The parks have also earned over 90 million USD in revenue during the stated period by exporting various products to the international market.

Industrial Parks Development Cooperation CEO, Aklilu Taddese said the Industry Parks operating in various parts of Ethiopia have been playing key role in import substitution, foreign currency earnings and job creation.

According to him, the parks in their efforts to strengthen import substitution have managed to produce goods worth of more than 200 million USD over the past nine months.

The successful efforts being exerted to substitute industrial products such as pharmaceutical and other vital goods that were forcing the nation to spend a lot of foreign currency are driving the country to realize the multifaceted prosperity, he added.

The parks have also earned over 90 million USD by export
ing various products to the international market noting that industrial parks in the country have been competing in the global market by producing quality products.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: The ‘Bounty of the Basket’ (Ye Lemat Tirufat) program, which is under implementation in Ethiopia to help the nation ensure food security, has been creating great interest and motivation among the farmers and pastoralists in the country, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh remarked.

The Deputy Prime Minister made the remark at a meeting opened today in Hawassa town of Sidama Regional State to evaluate the performance of the national development program that was launched in November 2022 by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

The development campaign, that focuses on nutritional opulence, aims to boost productivity of dairy, eggs, chicken, and honey and related products as well as intensify efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency and ensure nutritional opulence at family and national levels.

Temesgen said at the meeting that the main objective of ‘Ye Lemat Tirufat’ development program is ensuring food sovereignty.

According to him, since the program was launched it has been able to create interest a
nd motivation among farmers and pastoralist in enhancing their productivity.

He indicated that the government has given special attention to the agricultural sector with a view to ensuring food self-sufficiency of the nation.

In this regard, he mentioned that ”Yelemat Tirufat program aims to increase production at national level and stabilize the market, enhance foreign trade, substitute imported agricultural products and create job opportunities.

The Deputy PM has also stressed the need to have intensive public engagement in order to bring a much more success in implementing the program with the required quantity and quality.

Agriculture Minister Girma Amente on his part said through this scheme several results have been registered, indicating the thousands of ”Yelemat Tirufat Villages that were created across the country.

Chief Administrates of Regional States, Mayor of city administrations, Ministers and officials from the Agriculture sector are in attendance at the meeting.

Source: Ethiopian News
Agency

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia’s commitment to improving its agricultural sector and ensuring food security using technologies is a good example to be emulated by other countries in Africa, Innovation and Technology Minister Belete Molla remarked.

The Minister made the remark at the opening of the two-day Sixth African Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum underway at UNECA headquarter in Addis Ababa under the theme, ‘Effective delivery of innovative science and technology solutions to reinforce the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 and eradicate poverty in Africa.’

The forum is a pre-event being held ahead of the Tenth African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development.

Speaking during the opening, Innovation and Technology Minister Belete Molla said the forum is critical platform to explore how science, technology, and innovation can be harnessed to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with a specific focus on eradicating poverty in Africa
.

Africa is at a crossroads, the minister said, adding that despite significant progress, ‘we are still off track on achieving Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty.’

The number of people living in extreme poverty in Africa continues to rise, threatening to undermine peace, security, and sustainable development across the continent.

Science, technology, and innovation are not silver bullets, but they are powerful tools that can help us overcome these challenges, he stressed.

‘By fostering innovation in key sectors like agriculture, clean energy, and healthcare, we can create jobs, improve livelihoods, and lift millions out of poverty.’

However, strong foundation is needed for science, technology, and innovation to truly flourish in Africa.

Robust investment and effective collaboration in science, technology, and innovation are key to eradicating poverty and building sustainable development in Africa, Belete said.

‘We need a strong foundation. We must increase investment in research institutions an
d universities to develop homegrown solutions to Africa’s challenges. We need to Empower women and youth by recognizing that Women and young people are crucial drivers of innovation. We must create an environment that empowers them to participate fully in science, technology, and entrepreneurship. STI cannot be flourishing without strong institutions.’

Effective and accountable institutions are also essential for setting the right policies and fostering a culture of innovation.

‘We cannot achieve these goals alone. Collaboration is key. We need to work together -governments, businesses, academia, civil society, and the international community – to share knowledge, resources, and expertise,’ Belete said.

According to him, fostering innovation in key sectors like agriculture, clean energy, and healthcare, can create jobs, improve livelihoods, and lift millions out of poverty in Africa.

Ethiopia’s commitment to improving its agricultural sector and ensuring food security is a good example to be emulated by o
ther countries in Africa, he pointed out.

‘Ethiopia has developed a food system transformation roadmap and launched several initiatives focused on boosting agricultural productivity, achieving self-sufficiency, and combating climate change. These initiatives include improving access to fertilizers, seeds, and technologies for farmers.’

Ethiopia has not only created a roadmap for food system transformation, but actively implemented numerous initiatives. These initiatives prioritize boosting agricultural resilience, achieving food self-sufficiency, and combating climate change, he added.

The country recently amended its Science and Technology policy, placing a strong emphasis on fostering innovation and harnessing the potential of emerging technologies and enacted a national Digital Transformation strategy named Digital Ethiopia 2025.

‘We’ve recently evaluated the strategy’s impact, and while we’re encouraged by the progress, it’s also identified areas for improvement.

These insights will be instrumental i
n shaping our future endeavors. Building a robust innovation ecosystem is paramount to our success. We’ve implemented several initiatives to empower startups and strengthen research and development, including in the field of Artificial Intelligence.”

The Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute plays a central role in harnessing AI for national development and fostering research and development in this critical field.

Furthermore, Ethiopia is eager to collaborate with fellow African nations on a shared vision for scientific and technological advancement, he stated.

‘By working together, we can leverage innovation to unlock Africa’s full potential and build a brighter future, one powered by both digital transformation and green energy solutions,’ Belete added.

UNECA Program Support Deputy Executive Secretary, Antonio Pedro on his part said Africa must invest in human capital development, research and development, and in learning how to produce, sell and use emerging technologies such as Artificial Intel
ligence and genomics that are transforming every aspect of life.

‘Technology should advance the wellbeing of the millions of households, farmers, fishermen, and many others that still use basic tools to lift themselves out of extreme poverty,’ Pedro said.

Science and technology can play crucial role in increasing the efficiency of service delivery to the poor, monitoring living conditions, predicting impending crises in crowded or remote areas and informing decision-making during crises, he pointed out.

This forum is specifically designed to foster collaboration, the diffusion of technology and innovation, and the scaling up of policy and operational efforts to accelerate the contribution of science, technology and innovation to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, according to him.

The STI forum has over the years, grown to become a premier platform for addressing the opportunities and challenges that science, technology and innovation offer for fostering strategic partnerships and implementation of sc
alable and innovative solutions.

He noted that in 2022, the Forum launched the Alliance of Entrepreneurial Universities in Africa.

The Alliance has since stimulated Universities and their 19 million students in Africa to nurture start-ups aimed at creating 100 million jobs and generate 200 billion USD in revenue in ten years (that is by 2033).

‘Africa must invest in human capital development, research and development, in learning how to produce, sell and use emerging technologies.’

Similarly, in 2023, the continental problem-solving and innovation platform called Origin was launched in Niamey, Niger, as the first Origin Research and Innovation Hub for East Africa at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology in Kenya. It has registered hundreds of problem solvers, has its own physical space, staff and partners from the private and public sectors.

‘The ECA’s coding camps for girls and women are an example of how we can empower young women to become the next tech entrepreneurs and innovators. We have trained t
wo thousand young girls and women so far. However, to trigger transformational change, we must replicate these examples again and again across the continent,’ Pedro said.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency