AGP Executive Report

Ethiopia–India Health Tech: Ethiopia’s Ministry of Defense signed a joint venture with India’s Padiyath Health Care Group to modernize specialized care at the Bishoftu Defense Specialized Referral Hospital, bringing advanced medical technologies and skills transfer. Ethiopia–Russia Cooperation: Russia’s ambassador said ties with Ethiopia are at an unprecedented high, expanding across education, trade, technology and science, with cultural diplomacy highlighted via Russian Language Day in Addis Ababa. Urban Tech & Policy: Ethiopia’s rapid urban transformation is in focus as BRICS backs India’s plan for a knowledge-sharing network on urbanization, aiming to strengthen local authorities and digital governance. EU Migration Tech Rollout: A new EU migration and asylum pact enters into force, with officials stressing it’s a major IT and political reform that will be improved step by step. Coffee Modernization: USDA forecasts Ethiopia’s coffee output rising to 12.1M bags in 2026/27, with exports up and government pushing traceable, modern production. Science in Extreme Landscapes: A viral photo of Ethiopia’s Danakil acid pools is drawing fresh scientific interest in how life may survive in harsh conditions. Sports Integrity: Ethiopian runner Gudaf Tsegay received a four-month doping ban after failing to request medication approval in advance.

Coffee Climate Shock: A new report warns climate change could make about half of today’s coffee-growing land unsuitable by 2050, with major exporters like Brazil and Vietnam facing steep losses. BRICS Food Security Talks: BRICS agriculture ministers met in Indore to focus on food security and smallholder farmers, with special attention to women and youth in farming. UNODC Leadership Change: Kenya’s Monica Juma was sworn in as UNODC Executive Director and UN Vienna chief, taking charge of efforts against drugs, crime, and terrorism. Ethiopia Tech & Industry Policy: Ethiopia’s industrial transformation push includes a performance-based incentive framework for investors, aiming to tie tax benefits to measurable results. Danakil Science Spotlight: A viral photo of Ethiopia’s Danakil acid pools highlights how extreme chemistry can help scientists study early-Earth and possible life beyond Earth. Ethiopia Research Skills: CIMMYT and Ambo University trained Ethiopian researchers in applied research and statistical modelling using R, aiming to turn raw farm data into usable evidence. Digital Finance in Ethiopia: Ethiopia’s Connected Banking Summit returns to Addis Ababa to accelerate digital banking modernization. Vehicle ID Upgrade: Addis Ababa began issuing new national vehicle plates using RFID and QR codes to reduce fraud and streamline registration.

Digital Finance & Events: Ethiopia’s digital banking push gets a spotlight as the 29th Connected Banking Summit returns to Addis Ababa on 12 August 2026, aiming to accelerate digital banking modernization across emerging markets. Vehicle Tech & ID Systems: Addis Ababa starts issuing Ethiopia’s new nationwide vehicle plates with RFID and QR codes, replacing region-based plates to curb forgery and streamline enforcement. AI for Everyday Use: Google expands “Ask Gemini in Chrome” to Ethiopia plus Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, bringing built-in AI search help to more African users. Digital Skills Pipeline: PM Abiy celebrates Ethiopia’s 5 Million Ethiopian Coders milestone (now 5,005,146 enrollments) and calls for 7 million by August 2026. Food Security Science: CIMMYT and Ambo University train Ethiopian researchers in applied research and statistical modelling with R to turn farm data into publishable, decision-ready results. Refugee Livelihoods: New DREAMS programme findings report improved consumption, savings and assets for refugees and host communities in Uganda and Ethiopia. Climate & Health Risk: A study warns of “cooling poverty” affecting billions, with heat risks worsening where people lack safe, affordable cooling. BRICS Urban Futures: Ethiopia joins the 13th BRICS Urbanisation Forum in New Delhi, with digital innovation and resilient city planning on the agenda. Ebola Preparedness: Africa CDC urges AU members to strengthen border screening, isolation capacity and diagnostics ahead of potential imported Ebola cases.

AI & Connectivity: Google is expanding “Ask Gemini in Chrome” to Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, bringing built-in AI search help to more African users. Digital Skills: PM Abiy Ahmed celebrates Ethiopia’s “5 Million Ethiopian Coders” milestone (now 5,005,146 enrollments) and pushes a drive toward 7 million by August 2026. Health & Policy: A new analysis warns “cooling poverty” leaves over 2 billion people exposed to dangerous heat, with Ethiopia among the countries facing severe cooling deprivation. AI Regulation: A policy piece argues that copying the EU’s AI rules won’t fit Africa’s realities, as Kenya and Ethiopia draft AI laws to manage risks. Conservation & Livelihoods: A Nature study says Ethiopia’s protected areas slowed deforestation and farm expansion, but nearby communities saw trade-offs in food security and wellbeing. Ethiopia Builds Faster Homes: Ethiopia showcases 3D printing, light steel prefabs and container housing to cut construction timelines from months to days or weeks. Poverty Research: Uganda and Ethiopia results from the DREAMS program show entrepreneurship plus market access can reduce extreme poverty among refugees and host communities.

Conservation & Wellbeing: A Nature study says Ethiopia’s protected areas slowed deforestation and farm expansion (2000–2020), but also found nearby communities sometimes saw worse food security and wellbeing—highlighting “trade-offs” and the need for livelihood-aligned conservation. Sea Access & Regional Security: Ethiopia’s push for secure sea access is framed as a driver of Horn of Africa security, economic cooperation, and shared prosperity, with reform-era momentum tied to legal and equity questions. Housing Tech in Action: Ethiopia showcased faster homebuilding using 3D printing, light steel prefabrication, and container housing—aiming for high-quality homes in days or weeks. AI Governance in Africa: A policy analysis argues that copying the EU AI model won’t fit Africa’s realities, as Kenya and Ethiopia draft AI laws to manage risks and oversight. Ebola Preparedness & Border Screening: WHO’s PHEIC declaration for the DRC/uganda Ebola outbreak is linked to heightened regional vigilance, including risk-based travel screening using advanced passenger data systems. Ethiopia’s Agri Investment Push: Ethiopia reports strong progress from agricultural investment—millions of hectares under projects—supported by contract farming, improved seeds, and locally developed technologies. Refugee Entrepreneurship Results: New DREAMS program findings say entrepreneurship plus market access can cut extreme poverty for refugees and host communities, with Ethiopia and Uganda showing higher consumption, savings, and assets. Digital Connectivity Debate: A critical look at satellite internet in Africa warns that LEO connectivity may reshape sovereignty and surveillance power while governments struggle to regulate. Ethiopia’s Census Fight: A new statistics bill would restructure national data generation as Ethiopia remains without an updated population and housing census since 2007, sparking disputes over neutrality and control.

Housing Tech in Ethiopia: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited a Woldia demonstration site showing how Ethiopia’s housing program could move faster with 3D printing, light steel prefabrication, and container housing—promising premium homes in days or weeks. Digital Finance: Ethio telecom’s listing on the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX) under TELE clears retail investors to trade shares, with millions of digitized shares and verified retail shareholders. Public Data Governance: A new statistics bill is set to reshape Ethiopia’s population and housing counting system after the long-delayed 2007 census, shifting control to a new technical board and reigniting debates over who manages national numbers. Ebola Genomics Funding: The European Commission announced €16.5m to boost Africa pathogen genomics, surveillance, and supplies, with work tied to Ethiopia and Africa CDC. Ethiopia in Global Science: INSA hosted a BRICS Science Academies forum on AI for sustainable development, with Ethiopia among participating academies. Ethiopia Security & Elections: Reports track drone strikes in Tigray, election result transmission delays, and disputes over the 7th general election process.

Ethiopia Housing Tech Push: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed highlighted fast-track housing methods at a Woldia demonstration site, showcasing 3D printing, light steel prefabrication, and container housing as a way to scale the national housing program. Ethiopia Census Fight: A delayed population and housing census returns to Parliament as a governance battle over who controls national numbers, with a new statistics bill reshaping oversight. Ebola Preparedness Boost: Africa CDC and WHO launched a unified Ebola “One Response” plan for June–November 2026, targeting $518m for surveillance, labs, infection control, clinical care, community work, and cross-border coordination. Ethiopia–EU Health Aid: The European Commission announced €16.5m in new Ebola support, including funding for Africa CDC pathogen genomics, WHO surveillance, and essential supplies. BRICS Science & Agriculture: Ethiopia joins BRICS science discussions on AI for sustainable development, while BRICS agriculture talks in Indore focus on food security, climate-smart farming, digital agriculture, and farmer welfare. Global Conflict Trends: A Norwegian PRIO report says 2025 hit record state conflicts and rising civilian deaths, with Sudan’s El-Fasher violence cited as a major driver.

Ebola Preparedness: Africa CDC and WHO launched a unified “One Response” Ebola plan for June–November 2026, targeting $518m to boost surveillance, lab testing, infection control, clinical care, community engagement, logistics, and cross-border coordination. Food Safety & Regulation: Ethiopia’s EFDA warned unsafe food still drives illness, urging stronger collaboration and evidence-based solutions across government, industry, academia, and partners, alongside better lab capacity and quality management systems. Dairy Tech: Ethiopia’s EIAR unveiled “Etittuu,” a probiotic starter culture to improve milk fermentation, aiming to cut reliance on imports and strengthen dairy productivity and food security. Digital Finance: Ethio telecom’s ESX listing (TELE) clears retail shareholders for secondary trading, with millions of digitized shares and a shift toward citizen co-ownership of a major national enterprise. BRICS Agriculture: BRICS agriculture talks began in Indore, with Ethiopia among members, focusing on food security, climate-smart farming, agricultural trade, farmer welfare, and digital agriculture, AI, and robotics. Conflict & Tech Warfare: A Norwegian study reported record state-based conflicts in 2025 and a sharp rise in civilian-targeted deaths, while another peace index links worsening violence to faster tech-driven warfare. Election Context (Ethiopia): EEPA reported ongoing election result transmission delays across constituencies and continued disputes involving armed groups and regional tensions.

Ethiopian Food Safety Push: The Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA) says unsafe food is still a major driver of illness and is urging tighter coordination across government, labs, academia, industry, and development partners to strengthen food safety systems and laboratory capacity. Dairy Tech for Farmers: The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) launched “Etittuu,” a probiotic starter culture to improve milk fermentation, cut reliance on imports, and boost dairy productivity. Climate-Smart Livestock Research: Scientists with EIAR and ILRI are screening forage varieties to find climate-smart feed that can lower methane from livestock while keeping milk and meat output stable. US Health Aid Controversy: Human Rights Watch warns that new US bilateral health agreements—including with Ethiopia—condition aid on broad access to surveillance data and pathogen samples, raising privacy and fairness concerns. Solar Supply Chain Watch: Toyo announced a $357m, 1.5GW HJT solar cell plant in Houston, a move tied to US domestic manufacturing rules that could ripple into Ethiopia-linked solar supply plans.

Electric Mobility in East Africa: YADEA officially debuts in Kenya at Autoexpo Kenya 2026 with the Africa-focused KIFA electric motorcycle, targeting boda boda and delivery operators with fast battery swapping and a 150 km range claim, after selling 48,000+ units in Ethiopia. Clean Energy & Transport Policy: Ethiopia’s green mobility push gets a boost as Nordic partners line up investment and technology transfer ahead of a Nordic-Africa EV Summit tied to COP32. Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Nestlé and Ivory Coast’s agronomy research center develop six new robusta coffee varieties designed to resist climate stress and raise yields, aiming to protect a crop facing rising species threats. Digital Finance Inclusion: EthSwitch reports 1 million daily EthioPay-IPS transactions, signaling momentum for faster, more accessible payments. Forests & Food Security: New research warns Ethiopia and other hotspot countries face shrinking forest food systems as traditional knowledge fades, threatening nutrition and resilience. Governance & Implementation: A study finds forestry policies across Ethiopia, Cameroon, Kenya and Madagascar look strong on paper but suffer from uneven, fragmented on-the-ground execution. Ethiopia Election Logistics: NEBE says results have been declared for about 825 of 1,138 constituencies, with delays blamed on distance, candidate volume, and result transfer complexity.

Ethiopia Election Tech & Governance: Ethiopia’s 7th General Election wrapped up amid reports of a peaceful, orderly process, with NEBE saying about 825 of 1,138 constituencies have declared results and vote transfers are still ongoing. Digital Payments & Inclusion: EthSwitch says EthioPay-IPS has hit 1 million daily transactions, processing over ETB 5 billion—another push for faster, more accessible financial services. E-Mobility & Climate Tech: Nordic partners back Ethiopia’s EV ambitions ahead of COP32, while Ethiopia’s e-mobility strategy is framed as key to cutting climate impacts. Local Industry & Skills: Ethiopia signals an 80% local participation plan to reduce reliance on foreign contractors, and diplomats get science-based crisis diplomacy training. Biodiversity & Food Systems: The Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute marks 50 years protecting crop diversity, as new research warns forest foods and indigenous knowledge are under pressure. Energy & Infrastructure: GERD is highlighted as a driver for Horn regional integration, and Nordic-Ethiopia EV cooperation is set for a summit in September.

E-Mobility & Climate Policy: UNECA says Ethiopia’s e-mobility strategy is cutting CO2 and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, aligning with climate and energy-security goals. Electric Two-Wheelers: Yadea launched in Kenya with electric models for boda boda and delivery riders, betting on fast battery swapping and ecosystem scale after selling tens of thousands in Ethiopia. Digital Infrastructure & Services: Smart Hands Africa became an authorised Supermicro services partner, expanding post-sales support across Ethiopia and other African markets. Industrial Support: Ethiopia’s IDPC will offer reduced service fees and four years of free access to selected industrial parks to help domestic manufacturers scale and strengthen supply chains. Biodiversity & Food Security: Ethiopia’s Biodiversity Institute marks 50 years of protecting crop diversity, while facing new tech and governance pressures. Health & Outbreak Readiness: Africa CDC and WHO launched a joint Ebola preparedness and response plan for six months, focusing on surveillance, labs, infection control, and community engagement. Ethiopia Governance: NEBE reported results declared for about 825 of 1,138 constituencies, citing transfer delays and outlining complaint-handling. Research & Education Networks: Afretec signed its 10th university partner, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, to deepen engineering and tech collaboration.

IMF Support Boost: The IMF says it will step up or accelerate funding for at least four African countries affected by the US–Israel war on Iran, including Ethiopia, with a proposed accelerated $200M tranche and a $468M tranche already cleared for release. Ethiopia Election Updates: NEBE reports about 825 of 1,138 constituencies have declared results, with delays blamed on distance, many candidates, and transferring counts; the board says it has handled complaints and welcomed observer input. E-Mobility & Climate: UNECA highlights Ethiopia’s e-mobility strategy as a way to cut emissions and reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. EV Market Competition: Yadea launches in Kenya with multiple electric motorcycle models, citing Ethiopia sales of 48,000 units in three years and pushing fast battery-swap operations. Tech Capacity in Ethiopia: Afretec adds Addis Ababa Science and Technology University as its 10th partner, expanding university collaboration for digital growth and youth pathways. Industrial Policy: Ethiopia’s IDPC offers reduced fees and four years of free access to selected industrial parks to help domestic manufacturers scale up. Digital Infrastructure Services: Smart Hands Africa becomes an authorised Supermicro services partner, including support coverage for Ethiopia. Biodiversity Milestone: The Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute marks 50 years of safeguarding crop diversity and seed systems while facing new governance and technology shifts.

Ethiopia’s EV push: UNECA says Ethiopia’s e-mobility strategy is cutting emissions and reducing costly fossil-fuel imports, while improving energy security. Public health & Ebola readiness: Kenya received KSh647m for an Africa CDC–WHO Ebola preparedness plan, covering surveillance, labs, infection control, clinical care, and community engagement. Green transition partnerships: Nordic countries pledged support for Ethiopia’s EV ambitions ahead of COP32, including investment, tech transfer, and policy cooperation. Industrial policy for local firms: Ethiopia’s IDPC will cut industrial park service fees and offer four years of free access to selected parks to help domestic manufacturers scale up and create jobs. Digital infrastructure services: Smart Hands Africa added Supermicro as an authorised services partner, expanding installation, maintenance, and break-fix support across Ethiopia and other African markets. Research capacity & biodiversity: Ethiopia’s Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute marks 50 years of safeguarding crop diversity and seed systems while facing new tech and governance shifts. Energy investment spotlight: The African Energy Chamber will focus on Africa’s oil, gas, and power deficit opportunities for Israeli stakeholders in an upcoming webinar. Tech policy & skills: Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry completed a training on situational analysis and crisis diplomacy for 60+ diplomats, using scientific approaches for modern diplomacy.

Diplomacy Skills Upgrade: Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry wrapped a human resource development reform training for 60+ diplomats on situational analysis, trend analysis, and crisis diplomacy, with the minister stressing diplomacy guided by scientific methods. Industrial Policy Push: The Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IDPC) is cutting service fees and offering four years of free access to selected industrial parks for eligible domestic manufacturers to speed up production and jobs. E-Mobility for Climate: UNECA says Ethiopia’s e-mobility strategy is cutting emissions and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels, supporting a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. Digital Payments Milestone: EthSwitch reports EthioPay-IPS hit 1 million transactions in a day, processing over ETB 5 billion, alongside a financial inclusion award. Tech Services Expansion: Smart Hands Africa signed on as an authorised Supermicro services partner, adding installation, break-fix, maintenance, and consulting across multiple African markets including Ethiopia. Volcano Risk Rethink: New research suggests some “extinct” volcanoes may have long dormant periods, raising the need for closer monitoring. Public Health Note: Tanzania cut antibiotic misuse and AMR-linked deaths, showing how One Health surveillance and awareness can work.

Digital Finance Breakthrough: EthSwitch says its EthioPay-IPS hit 1 million transactions in a single day, topping ETB 5 billion, and the platform won The Asian Banker’s “Best Financial Inclusion Technology Initiative in Africa for 2026,” highlighting faster interoperable instant payments across Ethiopia. Climate & Health Risk: A new Nature Sustainability analysis warns that over 2 billion people in poor communities face “cooling poverty,” with hotter spells becoming life-threatening where housing, healthcare, and cooling options are missing. Ethiopia Election Legitimacy: As Ethiopia’s June 1 vote approaches, coverage argues formal electoral structures remain while conflict, shrinking civic space, and rights concerns weaken meaningful participation and legitimacy. Public Health & Global Support: The IMF announced stepped-up support for Ethiopia and other African states to cushion economic shocks tied to the US-Israel war on Iran, including accelerated access to an existing Ethiopia tranche. Urban Ecology: A study reports spotted hyenas in Mekelle help process nearly 5,000 tonnes of organic waste yearly, potentially reducing disease risks by quickly consuming carcasses. Governance & Skills: Italy’s SNA-backed capacity program will train senior public officials across Ethiopia, Kenya, Tunisia, and Ivory Coast to improve service delivery and institutional performance.