African ministers hail rapid infrastructure dev’t in Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, April 6, 2025 (FMC) — Ministers from Gambia, Burundi, and Mali commended the fast transformation they have witnessed in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

The Pan African Youth Leadership Summit was held here from 3-5 April 2025, under the theme: “Unlocking the Power of Youth for a Prosperous Africa.

The summit aimed to foster dialogue and collaboration among young leaders across the continent, focusing on sustainable development, peace, and economic empowerment.

On the sidelines of the summit, the ministers who participated in the summit visited various ongoing development projects in various parts of the city including the newly inaugurated Addis International Convention Center (AICC).

Gambia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Bakary Badjie, reflected on a previous trip to Addis Ababa in 2014.

“It’s been over ten years since I was last here, and I must confess that I have witnessed significant transformations in the city,” he said.

He emphasized the impressive Addis International Convention Center, which is now open to business persons to host meetings and events.

“This development exemplifies the value of public-private partnership and the potential benefits it can bring when the private sector collaborates with the government.

“I believe that countries like mine, Gambia, have much to learn from Addis Ababa and the Ethiopian government. We can take this knowledge back home to empower our young people.”

Similarly, Burundi’s Minister of East African Community Affairs, Youth, Sports, and Culture, Gervais Abayeho shared his enthusiasm.

“During our visit, we toured various sites, starting with the Convention Center, which is a remarkable infrastructure. We were impressed by its size and the variety of facilities available, which can accommodate thousands of visitors, conference attendees, and other events.”

According to him, the experience is unprecedented, adding that I have never witnessed such a commitment to engaging the youth anywhere else on the continent, he added.

“It serves as a source of inspiration for us. We discussed with Ethiopian officials on how our countries’ young people can come here for training; to learn from Ethiopia’s experience.”

The rapid development in Addis Ababa, particularly in infrastructure, is truly inspiring and serves as a model for what other African nations can achieve at home, Mali’s Minister of Youth, Sports, and Citizenship Abdoul Kassim stated his perspective.

Youth involvement in national development is crucial, he said, noting that given the majority of the young population, it is essential for them to be engaged in addressing the challenges we face and participate in the country’s development.

For him, the various innovations seen across different sectors contribute significantly to the nation’s progress.

“I consider this a vital lesson to take back home as we work towards our ambitious goals for youth engagement in Mali,” the minister stated.

The ministers’ visit underscores the importance of cross-national dialogue and collaboration in fostering youth engagement and development across the continent, ENA reported.