Takeaways for Nairobi from ongoing green facelift of Addis

Tigist Gebremichael is milling teff grain, a key ingredient for making injera. It is a new job that the mother of three now has. The job pays well, and she is able to take care of her children.

She used to sell firewood, carrying bundles of the tough and rough stalks on her back from house to house. She did this for many years under harsh weather conditions. It is a trade she inherited from her mother.

We meet another woman whose first name is similar to the first—Tigist. Her second name is Tatew.

She was a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia but returned to her country after years of working there. Tatew loves it here; she feels that her country now offers more opportunities, and she no longer has to look for them elsewhere.

The two women are among 550 others employed at the Gulele Integrated Development Project, located in the Gulele district of Addis Ababa, under the Ethiopian government’s larger plan to reorganise its urban centres, beginning with the capital.

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The project is a massive space hosting an injera bakery, whose long-term plan is to accommodate 1,650 women working in three shifts to bake Ethiopia’s staple food, injera.

As the two women go about their activities, it is clear that going green is non-negotiable for Ethiopia.

A walk through the streets of Addis Ababa reveals Ethiopia’s deliberate plan to reorganise its capital city, starting with reducing its carbon footprint by encouraging non-motorised transportation through bike lanes and pedestrian pathways.

To reduce pollution, the country has banned the importation of non-electric private vehicles.

Dubbed the “Corridor Development Project,” the initiative is an integrated urban planning strategy that seeks to interconnect various sectors of the city’s economic and social fabric.

City buildings are fitted with decorative solar lighting, which has turned the area into a vibrant centre. Citizens now walk freely at night, enjoying the clean, magnificent streets, while authorities report reduced crime.

Still ensuring environmental sustainability, the city administration has prioritised the creation of green spaces, parks, and urban forests. The country has been deliberate in increasing its forest cover, as Urban Planning Minister Fitsum Assefa said.

“Every summer, at least 20 million Ethiopians participate in tree planting for a period of two to three months,” she said.

The green initiative and rapid afforestation campaigns are spearheaded by the country’s Prime Minister and Nobel laureate, Abiy Ahmed.

In September last year, the African Union held its first urban forum in Addis Ababa to identify, discuss, and prioritise emerging and critical issues in inclusive and sustainable urban development.

The city, led by Mayor Adanech Abiebie, has made major strides in improving urbanisation through an urban transformation model.

Ethiopia’s urban population accounts for about 25 per cent of the country’s total population and is increasing at a rate of 5.4 per cent annually. With a continually growing population, the need to transform its towns and cities into resilient, sustainable, and people-centred urban centres was inevitable — hence the transformation that has begun in the country’s capital.

Addis Ababa’s urban transformation prioritises its residents, with a particular focus on children.

The city has implemented early childhood development programmes, including the establishment of accessible child-friendly spaces and early childhood education facilities. The city also has healthcare service centres for young children.

The youth have not been left behind either. A visit to the Ethio-Cyber Talent Centre reveals educational services targeting young adults in the city.

Twenty-year-old Michael Maassas has been training to code for a month now, and he believes the course will open great opportunities for him.

“The field of tech and cyber security is not saturated; there are a lot of opportunities,” Michael says.

He and 150,000 other young adults have undergone training as part of an initiative to produce five million coders by 2030, who will seek job opportunities within and outside the country.

Nairobi is also on a transformation path.

Recent research by the African Cities Research Consortium reveals the city’s challenges, including inadequate services and infrastructure, minimal responsiveness to low-income citizens, and disjointed city planning efforts as significant problems.

However, the city has embarked on measures to decongest the central business district by relocating hawkers to designated selling points.