Addis ababa: Ethiopia's economic growth is happening at a very fast pace and the government is doing something very special for the country's transformation, Botho Kebabonye Bayendi, African Union Commission (AUC) Strategic Planning and Delivery Director said. In an exclusive interview with ENA, she noted that it is not surprising that the prediction of the Ethiopian economic growth is going to be almost double digit.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Ethiopia's economy, one of the fastest-growing economies globally, is projected to grow by 10.2 percent in the 2025/2026 Ethiopian fiscal year. Stating that transformation is not easy, Bayendi added that the evidence of transformations, however, speaks for itself. In this regard, 'I believe that the government is doing something very special, something very unique,' she noted.
For the Director, the rate of infrastructure projects is happening at a very fast pace. 'Whatever the leadership is doing is bearing fruits and the people appreciate it, I think.' Regarding Ethiopia's commitment to climate actions, she said, 'We are seeing that despite high rise buildings, there is intentionality to make Ethiopia remain green.'
Launched in June 2019 by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the Green Legacy initiative has mobilized the nation to plant over 48 billion seedlings, fostering ecological restoration, strengthening food security, and enhancing biodiversity. The initiative is a massive reforestation and environmental restoration campaign that serves as a powerful African-led example of climate action designed to reduce carbon emissions and build climate resilience.
The Director commended the country's commitment in planting more trees and maintaining environmental sustainability and combating climate change impacts, stressing that aligning development agendas with climate actions are crucial priorities of AU. 'Where I sit at the African Union, one of the things that we have observed is that no matter how the pace of development, if you don't prepare to absorb climate shocks, the gains would be reversed in a split of a second,' Bayendi elaborated.
According to her, the consciousness of balancing industrialization, infrastructure development with climate intentions is what can be celebrated in Addis Ababa. One of the things that has been given priority by the African Union is balancing the accelerators of Agenda 2063, and those that can draw us behind, like climate change, the Director said. She stressed that member states must therefore align to both Agenda 2063 and the SDGs intention, realizing the significance of aligning economic development with climate issues.