Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has declared that Africa is entering a transformative era where homegrown artificial intelligence (AI) can drive inclusive prosperity and help achieve the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Speaking at the ‘AI for Africa’ program, themed “Leveraging AI for Africa’s Prosperity & Collaboration,” during the Ethiopian Tech Expo 2025 (ETEX 2025), the Prime Minister emphasized Ethiopia’s leadership in using AI to build a future-ready society.

He highlighted national initiatives like the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, the Digital ID program, and the “5 Million Coders” campaign, illustrating Ethiopia's strategic vision translating into tangible progress. Looking forward to 2030, Prime Minister Abiy stressed the importance of Africa shaping AI development and deployment based on ethics, inclusivity, and sustainability, ensuring that the continent's digital transformation leaves no one behind.

The ‘AI for Africa’ session was part of ETEX 2025, which commenced on May 16 at the Addis International Convention Center. The three-day expo, organized by the Information Network Security Administration (INSA) and the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, gathers over 10,000 participants. It focuses on cybersecurity, AI, fintech, smart cities, and technology education.

The opening of ETEX 2025 featured a record-breaking drone show with 1,500 drones—Africa’s largest—visually depicting Ethiopia’s digital transformation and its ambition to become a continental tech hub.