Addis Ababa, October 15, 2022 (FBC) – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has presided over the opening ceremony of the 10th Tana Forum held in Bahir Dar.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Abiy stated that the forum is vital to discuss ways to manage issues threating security of the continent.
Building a resilient Africa means not only withstanding unexpected shocks but also proactively planning and developing homegrown Africa led solutions, Abiy underlined.
The Prime Minister underscored that Africa is vulnerable to climate change despite contribution least to air pollution, and one of the three Africans are experiencing water in this regard.
Ethiopia will continue to invest in renewable energy including hydroelectric power plants, solar and wind farms.
Ethiopia is working hard on renewable energy not only to relieve its cute electricity shortage but also to export power to African countries by efficiently utilizing its resources, Abiy added.
Additionally, Ethiopia has launched Green Legacy Initiative which focused on boosting forestation and afforestation in 2019, the Premier said.
Ethiopia planned to plant 20 billion seedlings till 2022. But, the nation surpassed the plan by planting 25 billion trees with survival rate of 70pct. There are currently 125 nursery sites with a capacity of producing 8 billion tree seedlings annually.
Ethiopia is also working to ensure emission free transport system by encouraging use of electric vehicles, according to the Prime Minister.
Saying that the rain fed agricultural yields meet only 30 percent of the expected production, Abiy noted the nation has expanded commercial irrigation and paved its way to wheat self-sufficiency by planting heat – tolerant varieties adapted to arid and semi-arid agro ecologies.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also highlighted the importance of digital technologies in maintaining peace and security in Africa, calling for development of Pan-African data administration strategy based on geopolitical dimensions.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed further called on governments, non-state actors and other stakeholders to support efforts to strengthen the African digital economy.