Ethiopia’s Digital Vision, AI Initiative Key to Accelerating Transformation: Indian Ambassador

Addis ababa: India's Ambassador to Ethiopia, Anil Kumar Rai, has commended the country's leadership for its forward-looking digital vision, noting that the Digital Ethiopia 2030 strategy is laying a strong foundation for technology-driven and inclusive development. In an exclusive interview with the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), he said Ethiopia's leadership has taken bold steps to integrate technology into national development, particularly in light of its large and youthful population.According to Ethiopian News Agency, the government's efforts to expand access to affordable and high-quality data infrastructure are creating a strong backbone for innovation, supported by skilled and educated manpower. Ambassador Rai emphasized that emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence, are becoming increasingly critical across sectors such as economic development, digital identity, education, health, and banking.Building on this progress, he stated that Ethiopia's digital policy framework is comprehen sive and forward-looking, with strong potential to implement solutions at a population scale. The Ambassador noted that many solutions developed elsewhere can be tailored into Ethiopian solutions to address local challenges.He also highlighted Ethiopia's strategic location in the Horn of Africa and its rapid economic growth over the past decades, noting that several African countries are looking to Ethiopia as a model for transformation. Despite many African countries having AI policies, Ethiopia's AI policy is distinguished by its forward-looking nature and competency to implement solutions at a population scale.The Ambassador underscored the importance of continental collaboration, citing frameworks such as Agenda 2063, and suggested that successful digital solutions could be showcased through the African Union for wider adoption across Africa. Ethiopia's Digital Ethiopia 2030 strategy aims to transform the country into a digitally enabled economy, focusing on expanding digital infrastructure, improving connectivity, and promoting innovation to enhance public service delivery and economic productivity.The government has also prioritized human capital development and technological capacity building, recognizing digital skills as critical to future growth.