Metal Sector Gains Momentum Under “Made in Ethiopia” Initiative, Stakeholders Say

Addis Ababa, August 5, 2026 (ENA) — Ethiopia’s metal industry is gaining renewed momentum as stakeholders say the “Made in Ethiopia” initiative is helping local manufacturers access finance, expand market opportunities and modernize production facilities.

Industry leaders and factory representatives who spoke to ENA said the government-backed initiative is also addressing longstanding challenges that have constrained sector growth, creating new opportunities for local producers to scale up and compete in domestic and regional markets.

President of the Ethiopian Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers Association (EMEMA), Yohannis Girma, said manufacturers are continuing to produce a wide range of metal products to meet local demand while working toward becoming exporters to neighboring countries.

He said the Ministry of Industry has been supporting the sector through two key areas: import substitution and export promotion.

“The ‘Made in Ethiopia’ program has contributed to the wider use of locally manufactured products while creating opportunities for business expansion,” Yohannis said.

“We are moving forward with great momentum under the theme of ‘Made in Ethiopia’ to promote the use of local products. We have demonstrated our capabilities through exhibitions and various events, and now the focus is on expansion,” he added.

Yohannis said Ethiopia has significant potential to develop export-oriented metal industries by combining local skills and experience with modern technologies from abroad.

“By using latecomer advantages, bringing technologies from abroad and combining them with our local capacity and knowledge, I can say we are doing commendable work in recent years,” he said.

He further noted that the quality and competitiveness of locally manufactured products have been improving steadily through modernization and innovation.

“The change is very clear. We have managed to make many of our new products competitive, not only in terms of production capacity but also in quality through modernization,” he said.

Beyond manufacturing, EMEMA provides consulting and engineering services, including construction machinery support and spare parts production for textile machinery, automotive equipment, food processing, agriculture, medical industries and other metal workshops, according to Yohannis.

Meanwhile, Hiwot Damenu, Marketing Manager of Met Petrochemicals Manufacturing PLC in Dukem, said the company is expanding its operations in response to growing market demand, particularly for welding electrodes.

“We are getting a lot of support from the government and private sectors. They are appreciating our work,” she said.

She added that the company plans to upgrade its production capacity to include MIG wire manufacturing, a product widely used by metal industries, marking another step toward sector expansion.

Since the 2014 Ethiopian Fiscal Year, the “Made in Ethiopia” program and continued government support have helped revive inactive factories, attract new investments and increase production capacity across the manufacturing sector.