Ethiotelecom has announced two significant strategic partnerships that aim to enhance the country’s education and healthcare sectors.

In the first partnership, Ethiotelecom has agreed to provide a Smart Campus Solution to Addis Ababa University. This comprehensive technology solution will enable the university to create smart classrooms, allowing for easy access to educational data, better implementation of lab inspections, administration of assessment tests, and instant correction and reporting of results.

According to the agreement, this Smart Campus Technology Solution is the first of its kind in the country, and it is expected to help the university create a globally competitive academic environment.

In the second partnership, Ethiotelecom has teamed up with the Black Lion General Specialty Hospital to facilitate digital payments for medical services through its Telebirr platform. This collaboration will allow patients to conveniently make payments for diagnostic, laboratory, pharmacy, surgical, and other related medical services, including for emergency, outpatient, and inpatient care.

The partnership is expected to benefit the hospital by modernizing its operations and reducing administrative costs associated with traditional payment methods.

Ethiotelecom’s strategic decisions to partner with Addis Ababa University and the Black Lion General Specialty Hospital demonstrate the company’s commitment to leveraging its technological capabilities to drive innovation and improve access to education and healthcare services in Ethiopia.

By implementing the Smart Campus Solution and enabling digital payments in the healthcare sector, Ethiotelecom is positioning itself as a key enabler of Ethiopia’s digital transformation, empowering educational institutions and healthcare providers to enhance their services and better serve the needs of the country’s citizens.

These partnerships are seen as significant steps towards creating a more technologically advanced and efficient education and healthcare ecosystem in Ethiopia, ultimately contributing to the overall development and progress of the nation.

Diageo has announced the launch of its inaugural “Learning for Life” hospitality training program in Ethiopia, aimed at unemployed youth aged 21-28 with formal training in accommodation. With a total cost of 2.7 million birr, the program successfully graduated 50 students at the pilot level, placing them in a three-month paid internship.

On June 27, 2024, Diageo celebrated the graduation of the program’s first class, aligning with the company’s 10-year plan to create a more inclusive and sustainable world. This initiative aims to showcase trainees’ skills to potential employers, promoting job retention and career growth.

Hailemelekot Mamo, Vice President of ET Holidays & Digital/GCIC, praised Diageo’s commitment to job creation in Ethiopia and encouraged graduates to pursue their passions in the tourism and hospitality sector. He emphasized the sector’s importance in creating job opportunities in the country.

Originally conceived in Latin America in 2008, the Learning for Life program has since expanded globally, impacting the lives of over 200,000 people. The program aims to improve employment prospects and livelihoods by providing essential business and hospitality skills.

Beyond the initial three-month period, Diageo plans to sustain the Learning for Life program through ongoing support, training, funding, partnerships, and program expansion. Diageo is committed to empowering individuals with critical business and hospitality qualifications, facilitating their integration into the workforce, and strengthening Ethiopia’s hospitality sector.

Through strategic collaboration with local educational institutions, governmental bodies, and industry stakeholders, Learning for Life aims to promote equitable access to opportunities, improve employment prospects, and contribute to broader economic growth.

A new report commissioned by the NGO DanChurchAid has found that integrating climate adaptation and development efforts is crucial for achieving sustainable progress, especially in vulnerable communities. The report, which analyzed case studies from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nepal, highlights several key lessons learned.

Firstly, the research shows that flexible funding is essential to enable projects that can contribute to both development goals and climate adaptation. “More flexible funding is needed to enable projects, which can contribute to both development goals and adaptation,” the report states.

Secondly, the report emphasizes the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation to guard against the risk of maladaptation. Collaboration between local actors, climate experts, and others is vital to ensure adaptation measures are adequate and aligned with scientific climate scenarios.

Thirdly, the research underscores the criticality of local ownership to increase the chances for long-lasting effects. “Localization is essential for sustaining long-lasting effects and should be considered as a key component for sustainable success in adaptation and development projects,” the report notes.

DanChurchAid Secretary-General Jonas Vejsager Nødderkær said, “The findings from our research are clear. It is imperative that development and adaptation go hand in hand. Without this integration, we risk jeopardizing years of development efforts and vulnerable communities will be left worse off.”

The report also provides recommendations for scaling up projects that promote both adaptation and development, including mobilizing more funding, creating enabling political environments, and strengthening links to markets and private investments.

Additionally, the report emphasizes the need to integrate adaptation and development goals in national plans and strategies, as well as in the planning of individual organizations’ country programs and projects.

“Climate change is a global issue, but its impact is worsened in developing countries like ours,” said a project manager from the Rising project in Ethiopia. “The integration of climate adaptation and development projects provides for more effective and sustainable interventions.”

The report underscores the urgent need for governments, investors, and organizations to prioritize the integration of climate adaptation and development efforts to build resilience and secure sustainable progress, especially in the world’s most vulnerable communities.

In a collaborative effort with AviaDev, Airbus has unveiled a comprehensive report analyzing the top unserved air routes to, from and within Africa’s sub-Saharan region. The report, titled “Exploring the Horizons: A Study of Unserved Air Routes to, from and within Africa”, was launched during the AviaDev conference in Windhoek, Namibia.

The study, conducted using traffic and schedule data from December 2022 to November 2023, reveals that some of the most promising unserved routes are concentrated in a few key African cities, including Lagos, Cape Town, Nairobi, Dakar and Douala.

“Airline route and network planning is a cornerstone of an airline’s strategic planning and future development,” said Geert Lemaire, the report’s author. “Screening the market for new routes represents one of the most strategically important activities in the industry.”

The top-tier unserved routes identified in the report are primarily long-haul intercontinental flights to North America, Europe and the Indian Subcontinent. Unserved city pairs within Africa ranked lower on the list due to their currently lower traffic numbers, but the report still identified several promising prospects.

“Airports equally develop networks for strategic and operational reasons, with the objective of enhancing connectivity and reinforcing their business by attracting more passengers, more cargo and more airlines,” Lemaire added.

One notable finding is that West Africa, as a subregion, sees the highest number of unserved routes, with 9 out of the top 15 unserved routes starting or ending in West Africa. This is attributed to the region’s booming population, cultural and economic diversity, and its role in international trade, along with the projected growth forecast for the subregion.

“The potential to turn the unserved routes into actual ones is substantial, especially when considering the value of cargo traffic to and from the subregion,” Lemaire said.

The report also reveals that out of the 15 identified unserved routes, 11 previously had non-stop flights, some of which were discontinued years ago, while 4 were still in operation as recently as 2022.

“Enhanced aircraft capabilities and operating efficiency can facilitate network development and pave the way for the operational and economic feasibility of new routes, ultimately leading to improved connectivity, more choice and more convenience for travelers,” Lemaire concluded.

The full report is available on the Airbus and AviaDev websites, providing detailed insights and analysis on the most promising unserved air routes to, from and within Africa’s sub-Saharan region.