Addis Ababa, September 29, 2026 (ENA) — Ethiopia is expanding digital transformation across higher education institutions, with online, blended and micro-credential learning being introduced as part of the education system, Education Minister Berhanu Nega said. Delivering the key message of the STRIDE Ethiopia 2.0 Summit 2026, Education Minister Berhanu Nega said Ethiopia’s progress in digital infrastructure and legal frameworks must be matched by developing the human capacity needed to translate these advances into economic and social benefits. The digital transformation in higher education is being implemented on a broad scale, enabling university teachers and students to benefit from online, blended and micro-credential learning opportunities, Berhanu said. The expansion of digital learning is helping create opportunities for students to learn beyond traditional campus-based education, he elaborated. Efforts are also underway to strengthen digital literacy among students and teachers, enabling them not only to use digital tools but also to search for, evaluate and create information and apply technology for education and work. Ethiopia has also begun integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technology into the education system, Berhanu said. Teachers are being supported to use AI tools for lesson preparation, content development, student support and assessment. AI is being introduced to strengthen teachers’ capacity rather than replace them, Berhanu said. Significant efforts have been made to digitalize education information systems, including the Education Management Information System (EMIS) and Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS). The systems are being strengthened to organize and connect data on students, teachers, educational institutions and educational outcomes, supporting a more data-driven education system, he said. Strengthening connectivity and digital infrastructure is another major component of the reform, Berhanu said. This includes connecting universities and schools through networks, strengthening data centers and cloud services, and expanding digital education and research networks, he added. The goal of the reform is to shift the education system from paper-based processes to digital systems, from fragmented information to integrated data, and from traditional learning methods toward digital and AI-supported education. The goal is not to use technology for technology’s sake, but to use technology to improve the quality, accessibility, equity and effectiveness of education, Berhanu said. Berhanu also stressed the need for the education system to adapt to an era in which AI can perform many tasks traditionally associated with memorization. “We cannot continue with an education system that rewards memorization,” he said, emphasizing the need to develop students who can ask questions, think critically, identify problems and work together with machines.

Addis Ababa, September 29, 2026 (ENA) — Ethiopia is seeking to build national technological capacity by moving from using and adopting foreign technologies toward developing, manufacturing and exporting homegrown solutions, Minister of Innovation and Technology Belete Molla said. Speaking at the opening of the STRIDE Ethiopia 2.0 Summit 2026, Belete said the country must strengthen its capacity to understand, adapt and create technologies as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and space science reshape global competition. “Using foreign technology is no shame; the shame is failing to adapt anything from the technology we use,” Belete said. He said technological sovereignty does not mean isolation, but the ability to choose, adapt, develop and use technology according to the country’s needs while maintaining the capacity to make independent decisions. Belete said technology is also increasingly important for economic competitiveness, national security and data sovereignty, stressing that Ethiopia should maintain the ability to make strategic technological choices while continuing to collaborate with the international community. He also highlighted the government’s efforts to strengthen the startup and innovation ecosystem, noting that the Startup Proclamation provides mechanisms such as a National Startup Fund, regulatory sandbox and special incentives to support emerging businesses and innovation. Belete said Ethiopia has made significant progress in digital transformation over the past five years, moving from analog systems to digital platforms and from isolated government services toward connected digital public infrastructure. He said Digital Ethiopia 2030 will focus on expanding and integrating digital services and delivering measurable improvements in people’s lives, including wider digital identification, digital payments and secure information exchange, while digitally empowering key sectors including agriculture, health, education and manufacturing. “We must digitally empower agriculture, health, education, and manufacturing. The measure of our success will be how much our people’s lives have improved,” he said. The minister also stressed the need for research and innovation to address practical national challenges, including increasing agricultural productivity, saving lives and improving industrial productivity. He said research should move from paper to society, from laboratories to factories and from writing to the market, while Ethiopia should move from purchasing technology to adapting, manufacturing and eventually exporting it. He further emphasized the growing importance of artificial intelligence, biotechnology and space science, urging Ethiopia to develop its own capabilities and ensure that emerging technologies are human-centered, responsible, transparent and inclusive. “Ethiopia has no option to remain a mere spectator in the age of artificial intelligence. No one will build artificial intelligence for us that understands our languages and solves our problems,” he said. Belete said young people are Ethiopia’s greatest wealth in the new technological era and should be developed as programmers, researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs who can build the country’s future. He said Ethiopia’s 50-year journey in science, technology and innovation has laid the foundation for the next phase of national technological development, while the past five years have created momentum for change and the next five years should turn that change into national capacity. The summit is being held from September 29 to October 1 under the theme “Fifty Years Journey, Five Years of Delivery, Fifty Years Ahead,” bringing together government officials, former leaders of the sector, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, development partners, technology communities and youth to reflect on Ethiopia’s science, technology and innovation journey and discuss its future direction.

Addis Ababa, September 27, 2026 (ENA) —Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has appointed Abraham Belay (PhD) as Commissioner of the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission, effective September 14, 2026. Abraham, who has served in several senior government positions, most recently served as Minister of Irrigation and Lowland Areas. His appointment comes as Ethiopia advances its efforts to develop the peaceful use of nuclear energy as part of its broader strategy to expand clean, reliable and sustainable energy sources, it was learned.

By Guillermo Patria Sept. 24, 2026 (ENA) Ethiopia is undertaking a broad transformation of its national defense system, seeking to build a military that is more professional, technologically advanced, operationally ready and increasingly capable of sustaining itself through domestic production. The transformation reaches across the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), Air Force, Special Operations Command, defense industries, drone production, military research and education, artificial intelligence and the rebuilding of the country's maritime capability. At its core is a strategic proposition: protecting Ethiopia's sovereignty and national interests requires not only soldiers and weapons, but also strong institutions, technology, industrial capacity and human capital capable of sustaining them. ENDF Chief of General Staff Field Marshal Birhanu Jula has described the reform as a historic transformation aimed at strengthening the force's organizational structure, unity, professionalism, readiness and technological capacity. The objective is therefore not simply to increase military hardware, but to change the character and capabilities of the force.   A force adapted to modern warfare The battlefield is changing rapidly. Traditional manpower and conventional weapons remain important, but military effectiveness increasingly depends on information, precision, communications, unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, electronic warfare and the ability to make decisions rapidly. Ethiopia's reforms are increasingly responding to this reality. In February 2026, Field Marshal Birhanu described the modernized ENDF in terms of quantity, quality and technology, stressing the need to adapt military capabilities to changing technologies and security threats. The technological shift is also becoming institutional. In August 2026, the ENDF signed an agreement with the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute to explore AI applications in logistics, military training, cybersecurity, military healthcare, air operations and electronic warfare. Yet technology alone does not create military strength. It must be matched by trained personnel, effective institutions and operational readiness. Ethiopia's reform therefore also emphasizes professional military education, specialized training, engineering and technical expertise. Readiness at the center The ultimate purpose of a defense force is its ability to respond when national interests are threatened. Field Marshal Birhanu has repeatedly emphasized ENDF readiness amid what Ethiopia describes as a complex and changing security environment. In July 2026, he said reforms had strengthened the force's organizational structure and unity while maintaining a high level of readiness and introducing modern military technology. The Special Operations Command represents another dimension of this approach, with military leadership presenting it as a highly capable force designed for rapid response and proactive action against emerging threats. For Ethiopia, the broader objective is clear: national sovereignty must be protected by a force capable of detecting threats, mobilizing rapidly and responding effectively when national interests are at stake. From buying weapons to building them Perhaps the most important part of Ethiopia's defense transformation is taking place away from the battlefield—in factories, laboratories and engineering facilities. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has increasingly linked defense manufacturing with economic resilience and technological self-reliance. He has said Ethiopia is developing domestic capabilities to manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles, armored military vehicles, heavy weapons, artillery and ammunition. The significance goes beyond the products themselves. Defense manufacturing requires engineers, technicians, researchers, specialized machinery and reliable industrial systems, creating technological capabilities that can strengthen the wider economy.   The Homicho Ammunition Engineering Complex illustrates this trajectory. Its growing production capacity has enabled Ethiopia not only to supply domestic requirements but also to enter foreign markets, with the government reporting ammunition export contracts worth more than 30 million US dollars. The direction is therefore shifting from simply acquiring finished products toward developing the capacity to produce, maintain and improve critical systems domestically. The Air Force and the technology ecosystem The Ethiopian Air Force provides perhaps the clearest example of the transformation. The institution says it has moved from an analog operating environment toward the digital era while expanding aircraft maintenance, upgrading, spare-parts production and unmanned aviation. The significance is that a modern Air Force requires an entire technological ecosystem—pilots, engineers, technicians, maintenance facilities, spare parts, research, communications and digital systems. Ethiopia is increasingly seeking to develop these capabilities locally. The Air Force has reported increased production of components and spare parts while Ethiopian engineers and technicians take greater roles in aircraft maintenance, upgrading and unmanned systems. The objective is therefore not simply to acquire aircraft from abroad, but to develop the knowledge required to operate, maintain, upgrade and eventually develop increasingly sophisticated systems. This also explains the emphasis on human capital. Prime Minister Abiy has stressed that sophisticated aircraft alone cannot create an effective Air Force. Highly trained pilots, engineers, technicians, scientists and commanders are essential to converting technology into military capability.   Drones and artificial intelligence Few developments demonstrate the technological shift more clearly than Ethiopia's growing drone industry. The establishment of SkyWin Aeronautics Industries marked an important step in domestic UAV production. Drones bring together aviation, electronics, sensors, communications, software, data processing and increasingly artificial intelligence. In June 2026, the Information Network Security Administration and the Ethiopian Air Force agreed to establish a Drone Technology Center dedicated to research, innovation and development in unmanned aerial systems. The initiative connects defense requirements with research, laboratories, human-capital development and technology transfer—helping create a domestic technological chain from research and engineering to production and deployment. AI represents the next layer of this transformation. The ENDF's cooperation with the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute is intended to explore AI applications across logistics, training, cybersecurity, military healthcare, air operations and electronic warfare. The broader significance is that Ethiopia's defense modernization is moving beyond hardware toward technologies that can improve how information is collected, processed and used.   Fourth-generation capability, fifth-generation ambition Ethiopia's Air Force ambitions extend further. In January 2026, Prime Minister Abiy said the Ethiopian Air Force had developed fourth-generation combat capability and set an objective of moving toward fifth-generation capability by 2030, alongside plans to double the country's combat-aircraft capacity. These are stated government objectives rather than capabilities already fully achieved. Nevertheless, they demonstrate the direction of Ethiopia's military planning: keeping defense capabilities aligned with rapidly evolving technologies while continuing to invest in the human expertise required to operate them. The transformation therefore cannot be measured only by the number of aircraft acquired, but also by the country's ability to operate, maintain, upgrade and increasingly develop sophisticated systems. Land, air and sea Ethiopia's defense transformation also has a maritime dimension. The country lost direct access to the Red Sea following Eritrea's independence, and the Ethiopian Navy was subsequently disbanded. Its reconstruction now forms part of the country's evolving national security architecture. Vice Admiral Kindu Gezu, Commander-in-Chief of the Ethiopian Navy, has highlighted the changing security environment in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, including piracy, arms trafficking, irregular migration, insurgent networks and geopolitical competition. For Ethiopia, maritime security has implications beyond naval operations. Trade routes, ports, energy supplies, commercial shipping and regional security are all connected to the wider maritime environment. The Navy consequently adds another dimension to the defense transformation, with land, air, cyber and maritime capabilities increasingly forming part of one national security architecture. Building strategic self-reliance Taken together, these developments reveal the broader direction of Ethiopia's defense reform. The ENDF is being reorganized and professionalized. Specialized forces are being developed around rapid response. The Air Force is expanding its digital, maintenance and engineering capabilities. Domestic drone production is emerging. Defense industries are producing ammunition, armored vehicles and other military equipment. AI is being explored for defense applications, while military universities and laboratories are becoming part of technological research and development. The Navy is rebuilding maritime capabilities. Individually, each represents a military reform. Together, they point toward an effort to build strategic self-reliance. A country cannot guarantee the sustainability of its defense capability if every critical component depends on external suppliers. Domestic production does not eliminate the need for international cooperation or foreign technology, but it can strengthen Ethiopia's ability to maintain essential capabilities, respond to emergencies and develop technologies suited to its own requirements. That is the broader bargain emerging from Ethiopia's defense transformation. The objective is not simply to possess modern weapons. It is to create a defense institution capable of using technology effectively, sustaining its equipment, developing its own technical expertise and responding rapidly when national interests are threatened. The deeper story is therefore being written not only on military grounds, but also in aircraft workshops, drone factories, ammunition plants, laboratories, military academies and technology institutes. The soldier remains at the center. But alongside the soldier stands an increasingly important network of pilots, engineers, scientists, technicians, programmers, researchers and manufacturers. Together, they represent a changing conception of military power. For Ethiopia, the emerging objective is a defense force that is professional in structure, ready in operation, technologically capable and increasingly self-reliant in production. In an era when national security is shaped by technology as much as manpower, the ability to build and sustain that capability may become as important as the weapons themselves. Ethiopia's defense transformation is therefore not simply about building a stronger army. It is about building the technological, industrial and human foundations that enable the country to defend its sovereignty and national interests with greater confidence and readiness.