-3rd African Job Creation Forum opens here
-The Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Temesgen Tiruneh has called on Africans to stand together to address challenges in the rapidly changing world.
His remarks came at the 3rd African Job Creation Forum, which opened yesterday in Addis Ababa with the aim of unlocking Africa’s employment potential. The forum is a collaborative effort between the Ethiopian government, the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and the AeTrade Group.
Speaking at the event, DPM Temesgen emphasized that the African continent urgently needs more trade, industries, jobs, and investment, stressing that these are not goals for the distant future but immediate necessities.
He highlighted the rapid global changes and underscored the importance of African unity to facilitate joint action against climate change, conflicts, technological adversities, and other pressing issues.
Temesgen stressed that the African continent must stand together, a principle Ethiopia actively upholds.
“Africa is a continent full of youth and dreams. Our young people are not a burden. They are our strength. They are our promise. They represent the potential for growth and transformation. Ethiopia stands for that promise. We believe in Pan African unity and in the African Continental Free Trade Area as a pathway to shared progress,” he said.
The DPM affirmed that Ethiopia’s homegrown reform agenda and a ten-year strategic plan are not mere slogans but practical blueprints for inclusive growth and a future where no one is left behind.
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He detailed the country’s initiatives, including modernizing agriculture, developing climate-resilient and integrated agro-industrial parks, and spearheading the Green Legacy Initiative (GLI).
As to the DPM, the GLI has been instrumental in planting over 40 billion trees, transforming lives and landscapes, restoring degraded lands, and creating green jobs.
Furthermore, Ethiopia is investing in digital finance for small and medium businesses, particularly in rural areas, connecting farmers to markets, villages to banks, and ideas to opportunities, he stated.
According to Temesgen, the African continent requires not just traditional infrastructure like roads and bridges, but also robust digital infrastructure and systems that connect, include, and inspire.
The official opening of the forum saw the attendance of notable figures, including DPM Temesgen, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Labor and Skills Minister Muferihat Kamil, along with several other African ministers, policymakers, and experts.