PM Abiy Urges African Political Parties to Prioritize Leadership Renewal, Long-Term Dev’t

Addis Ababa, November 6, 2026 (ENA)— Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on African political parties to embrace leadership renewal and build consensus on long-term national priorities.

He also stressed that the continent's development must transcend electoral cycles and changes of government.

The Prime Minister made the call while opening the Second African Political Parties Summit in Addis Ababa, where he proposed two key commitments for inclusion in the Addis Ababa Declaration: establishing consensus on long-term national development priorities and strengthening leadership development and succession across Africa.

 

He emphasized that political parties should agree on strategic national goals with measurable milestones to ensure continuity of development efforts regardless of political transitions.

PM Abiy elaborated that parties can maintain ideological and policy differences and compete for electoral support while working together on fundamental national interests and long-term development objectives.

He also stressed that leadership succession is essential to sustaining development, warning that countries risk losing hard-won progress when incumbent leaders fail to prepare the next generation of leadership.

Highlighting Ethiopia's experience in political inclusiveness, the Prime Minister said the country's reformed government has incorporated leaders from opposition political parties.

 

This reflects an approach that values broader participation and shared responsibility, the Premier revealed. 

He noted that Ethiopia's Medemer philosophy encourages political actors to recognize and build on one another's contributions despite their differences, particularly when national interests call for collective action.

Turning to economic transformation, PM Abiy outlined key measures undertaken through Ethiopia's Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda, including opening the telecommunications, banking and competition sectors to foreign participation and introducing a market-based foreign exchange system.

He also highlighted the Green Legacy Initiative, noting that more than 50 billion seedlings have been planted since its launch in 2019 through the collective participation of citizens, communities and institutions.

 

The initiative, he explained, is aimed at restoring degraded landscapes, protecting water resources and strengthening national resilience to climate-related challenges, including droughts and floods.

The Prime Minister's proposals place leadership renewal, political consensus and policy continuity at the center of Africa's development agenda, underscoring the need for political parties to serve not only as vehicles for electoral competition but also as institutions that sustain national transformation.

He called on African political parties to strengthen cooperation around shared national priorities and build a development vision that endures beyond political transitions.

 

The Second African Political Parties Summit is being held in Addis Ababa under the theme “Governing for Growth: Political Parties as Architects of Africa's Economic Future.”