Jeffrey Sachs Hails Ethiopia as Africa’s Rising Economic Powerhouse Fueled by Infrastructure, Reform

Addis Ababa, February 15, 2026 (ENA)—Renowned American economist and public policy analyst Professor Jeffrey Sachs has hailed Ethiopia as one of the world’s most dynamic and forward-looking economies, crediting its rapid progress to visionary leadership, large-scale infrastructure investment, and bold macroeconomic reforms.

In an exclusive interview with ENA on the sidelines of the African Union Summit, Sachs emphasized that Ethiopia is pursuing development with a long-term strategic outlook.

“Ethiopia is operating with a vision for the future, looking ahead 10 to 20 years,” he said, underscoring that sustained development requires deliberate planning and structural transformation.

Sachs, a professor at Columbia University and a leading global advocate for sustainable development, described Ethiopia as one of the world’s most vibrant and rapidly evolving economies.

He praised the country’s expansive investments in transport, energy, digital connectivity, and agriculture, noting that these sectors are laying a solid foundation for long-term prosperity and regional integration.

According to the economist, the strategic alignment between infrastructure expansion — particularly in energy generation, digital networks, and transportation corridors and comprehensive macroeconomic reform is creating favorable conditions for private-sector growth and investment inflows.

He observed that visible transformation is unfolding both in Addis Ababa and across regional states, citing measurable improvements in electrification, digital access, and modern transport networks.

Sachs particularly highlighted Ethiopia’s vast renewable energy potential — including hydro, solar, wind, and geothermal resources — describing it as a critical pillar of the country’s development strategy.

He pointed to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as a flagship project exemplifying Ethiopia’s energy ambitions. The dam, he noted, will significantly strengthen national power generation capacity while supporting regional electrification initiatives.

“With access to electricity, farmers can enhance crop production, improve transport, and ultimately increase profitability,” Sachs explained, stressing that rural electrification is already generating tangible income gains for agricultural communities.

While acknowledging Ethiopia’s vast agricultural potential, he underscored the importance of farmer education and skills training to fully unlock productivity gains.

Beyond national development, Sachs called for stronger continental cooperation under the framework of the African Union, arguing that regional integration is essential to boosting productivity, strengthening value chains, and attracting sustained investment across Africa.

“Big hydro projects like GERD are part of a broader regional electrification effort,” he said, emphasizing that collective infrastructure development will be central to Africa’s long-term economic transformation.

Sachs concluded that Ethiopia’s blend of visionary planning, infrastructure expansion, and reform momentum positions the country as a rising economic powerhouse on the African continent and an emerging model for sustainable development worldwide.