Addis Ababa, May 7, 2025 (FMC) — Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh has emphasized that Ethiopia’s development hinges on the productivity and creativity of its citizens, stating that “a country advances when its people use their skills to build, create, and solve.”
He made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the Made in Ethiopia Expo 2025, held Wednesday 7th May in Addis Ababa.
DPM Temesgen said the expo served not just as a showcase of manufactured goods but as a national statement, bringing together local and international manufacturers to promote innovation, market expansion, investment, and technology transfer.
The event also aimed to strengthen national pride in domestic production and gather insights for ongoing policy and strategy improvements.
“The makers and doers are the patriots of today,” the Deputy Prime Minister declared, adding that the Made in Ethiopia movement is reshaping public consciousness by positioning local products as symbols of pride and independence.
He outlined that various policies and strategies have been crafted and implemented with the objective of transforming the manufacturing sector into a foundation for Ethiopia’s economic transformation.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to correcting the trade deficit, creating employment, and improving citizens’ lives.
Thanks to coordinated national efforts under the Made in Ethiopia movement, the manufacturing sector has shown marked improvement.
The Deputy Prime Minister reported that average capacity utilization in the sector rose from 46 percent in 2022/23 to 61.2 percent in the first half of 2024/25.
The domestic market share of locally produced goods increased from 30 percent in 2014 to 41.4 percent in the first nine months of the current fiscal year.
Sectoral growth has also accelerated: the annual growth rate rose from 5 percent in 2014 to 10.1 percent in 2016, and it is projected to reach 13 percent in the 2024/25 fiscal year.
Temesgen further disclosed that 837 previously closed industries have resumed operations, while more than 13,830 new small and medium-sized enterprises have been established and expanded. Since the inception of the movement, 325 high-tech industries have entered production, contributing to the creation of 910,000 permanent jobs.
While commending investors who build with “vision and integrity,” the Deputy Prime Minister also acknowledged persistent challenges.
He warned that those who exploit or corrupt the system cannot be allowed to define Ethiopia’s future. Unlocking the country’s full potential, he said, requires expanding the community of ethical producers, confronting obstacles to industrial growth, and supporting those who manufacture in good faith.
“The transformational government is a process of starting and finishing; we dream, we plan, we achieve what we plan with speed and creativity,” he said. “The difference between yesterday and today in Ethiopia is not just in the name of the day—it is a difference of prosperity.”
Temesgen concluded his speech by reaffirming the government’s commitment to sustainable development and called on citizens and stakeholders alike to stand behind the builders of the new Ethiopia.