Ethiopia Selected to Host African Mayoral Leadership Initiative Forum

Addis Ababa, August 12, 2026 (ENA) —Ethiopia has been selected to host the upcoming African Mayoral Leadership Initiative (AMALI) Leadership Forum this October in Addis Ababa and Bishoftu.

The announcement follows high-level discussions between Chaltu Sani, Ethiopia's Minister of Urban and Infrastructure, and Jennifer Comalie, Executive Director of AMALI.

The two leaders met to discuss the forum’s overall significance, long-term impact, and the ongoing sustainability of the initiative.

Minister Chaltu noted that over the past four years, the initiative has played a pivotal role in strengthening leadership capacity and driving transformative change across Ethiopian cities.

The initiative has primarily contributed to strengthening mayoral leadership and creating a lasting legacy, advancing urban digitalization and data management, and helping cities enhance domestic revenue mobilization and build greater self-reliance, she noted.

The minister further expressed that the ministry is working with a strong focus and commitment to ensure the success of the upcoming forum.

The forum will bring together mayors and city leaders from across Africa.

Addis Ababa previously hosted the AMALI City Leadership Reunion on October 5 and 6, 2023.

AMALI seeks to accelerate the transformation of African cities by providing tailored leadership support, fostering peer learning and strengthening the capacity of city leaders to address urban challenges.