Addis Ababa, September 7, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia is working to expand its clean energy generation capacity and increase electricity exports to countries across the East African Power Pool and beyond, President Taye Atske-Selassie said.
Addressing the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) in Dubai, President Taye identified clean energy as the first of five strategic investment priorities for Africa, describing it as a critical driver of industrial transformation and sustainable economic growth.
He called on African countries to accelerate investment in solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower while diversifying their energy mix to meet the growing energy demands of industrialization.
The President cited clean-energy developments in countries including Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Ghana and Kenya, stressing that expanded and reliable energy supplies are essential to Africa’s industrial and economic transformation.
For Ethiopia, he said, renewable energy represents far more than a source of electricity, describing clean energy as a foundation for rapid economic growth.
President Taye said Ethiopia has an estimated 60,000 megawatts of renewable energy potential and is targeting 13,000 megawatts of generation capacity by 2030, alongside plans to expand electricity supplies to countries across the East African Power Pool and beyond.
He said the expansion of electricity supplies to neighboring countries would also strengthen Ethiopia’s role in regional energy integration.
President Taye noted that Ethiopia’s relatively affordable and reliable electricity supply is increasingly attracting investment in advanced digital infrastructure. Nearly 1,000 megawatts has been allocated to data-center and mining enterprises, he said, underscoring the growing link between renewable energy, digital infrastructure and technology investment.
Beyond energy, the President outlined agriculture, critical minerals, infrastructure and strategic corridors, and human capital as four additional priorities for Africa’s investment and economic transformation.
He highlighted Ethiopia’s transformation from a net wheat importer into Africa’s largest wheat producer, attributing the progress to expanded irrigation, improved agricultural technologies and the adoption of heat-resistant seed varieties.
He also pointed to Ethiopia’s growing production of coffee, avocado, sesame and livestock, emphasizing opportunities in agro-processing, value addition and exports.
On critical minerals, President Taye called for greater African ownership and value creation from the continent’s abundant resources, including gold, lithium, cobalt and iron ore.
He cited Ethiopia’s position as the world’s sixth-largest tantalum producer and stressed that mineral development should be sustainable, inclusive and structured to ensure greater benefits for resource-producing countries.
Infrastructure and strategic corridors, he said, are equally critical to Africa’s economic integration, particularly as the continent seeks to strengthen physical and digital connectivity.
President Taye highlighted Ethiopian Airlines as a major connectivity platform and pointed to the 12.5-billion-USD Bishoftu International Airport, currently under construction, which is expected to handle up to 110 million passengers and about four million tonnes of cargo annually.
Such investments, he said, can strengthen Africa’s trade, logistics, tourism and investment links with global markets, as reported by ENA.
Human capital was identified as the fifth priority, with President Taye urging African countries to turn their young populations into engines of innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth through greater investment in skills and technology.
He highlighted Ethiopia’s “5 Million Coders” initiative and thanked the United Arab Emirates for its support for the program.