UNDP considering Ethiopia to host Timbuktoo Initiative Hub

Addis Ababa, February 23, 2024 (FBC) – Ethiopia is one of the countries that will be seriously considered to host the Timbuktoo initiative hub, a giant scheme with a determined mission of creating a Pan-African startup ecosystem, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

In an exclusive interview with ENA, UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa Director Ahunna Eziakonwa said that Ethiopia has a tremendous potential in innovation and entrepreneurship that would catalyze startups business.

UNDP launched on 17th January 2024 the bold and ambitious Timbuktoo initiative together with African countries at a special session of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland.

The initiative is aimed at mobilizing one billion USD to transform 100 million livelihoods and create 10 million jobs, it was learned.

Noting that Timbuktoo is a big initiative to boost the startup ecosystem in Africa, Eziakonwa said that Ethiopia is conducive for the advancement of enterprising and entrepreneurship among its youths.

Therefore, “Ethiopia will be one of the countries that will seriously consider hosting the project.”

According to her, UNDP is investing in Ethiopian universities to create space for young people to incubate their ideas and be able to actually influence sustainable development.

“You have a lot of engineers here graduating out of the universities but not enough jobs for them. So we want to make sure that we create opportunities for these young people who are already skilled to be able to actually become employers themselves to be job creators, not just job seekers.”

Eziakonwa added that UNDP here is very robust in Ethiopia, and it has been working with the Government of Ethiopia in many spheres.