Ethiopia's ambitious digital strategy, pathway to economic growth by 2030

With Digital Ethiopia 2030 now launched, the government says the strategy will accelerate connectivity, strengthen cybersecurity and scale artificial intelligence, positioning the country for inclusive digital growth and modern public service delivery by the end of the decade.

By Nhlanhla Muthe

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has launched Digital Ethiopia 2030, a bold national push to accelerate connectivity, strengthen trust in digital services and power Ethiopia’s tech-driven future.

Ethiopia has unveiled an ambitious new phase of its digital transformation agenda, signalling a decisive shift toward a more technology-driven economy.

Senior government officials say the Digital Ethiopia 2030 Strategy will greatly accelerate the country’s push to build a competitive, trusted and inclusive digital economy over the next five years.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed officially launched the strategy this week, describing it as a people-centred roadmap shaped by lessons from the largely completed Digital Ethiopia 2025 programme.

“Digital Ethiopia 2030 focuses on expanding access, ensuring equal opportunities, and building trust between institutions and the people,” said Abiy. The Prime Minister added that the plan is closely aligned with the government’s Medemer philosophy of synergy and efficient public service delivery.

The strategy is expected to fast-track Ethiopia’s digital push by deepening connectivity, modernising public infrastructure and embedding technology across government services. According to officials, this will shorten bureaucratic processes, improve service delivery and unlock new growth in the digital economy.

Cybersecurity has been elevated as a strategic priority. Tigist Hamid, Director General of the Information Network Security Administration (INSA), said earlier investments under Digital Ethiopia 2025 laid a solid foundation.

“By building our own cloud infrastructure, we have been able to create trust in digital services in Ethiopia,” she said, noting that a national digital forensic laboratory is now operational. Under the 2030 strategy, Ethiopia plans to build resilient core digital infrastructure, establish a national disaster response centre and strengthen collaboration with the private sector on cybersecurity.

Artificial intelligence is another major pillar being prioritised in Ethiopia. Worku Gachena, Director General of the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, emphasised that the country is moving to expand its national AI ecosystem. “In addition to using our own cloud infrastructure, we will establish an effective information management system that supports organised, evidence-based decision making,” he said. An independent national information authority will also be created to standardise and oversee digital services.

The telecom sector remains a key enabler. Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamiru said the 2025 programme delivered major gains, with mobile subscribers reaching 97 million and internet users 57 million. “So far, 1 030 cities have been connected with 4G network services,” she said. By 2030, Ethiopia aims to grow mobile subscriptions to 128 million, roll out 5G in 100 cities and expand digital payments to more than seven times their current share of GDP.

Beyond telecoms, Ethiopia is also driving complementary initiatives such as mobile money expansion, digital ID systems, public e-government platforms and tech-skills development programmes, all designed to position the country as a leading digital hub in Africa by 2030.