Addis Ababa, February 12, 2026 (FMC) – The Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) has reported that 80 percent of its electricity infrastructure inputs are now sourced from domestic suppliers, marking a significant step in promoting local industry and investment.
EEU Communications Executive, Mr. Anwar Abrar, told Fana Digital that priority has been given to local companies capable of providing high-quality inputs, effectively substituting imported products with domestic alternatives. “This initiative aims to strengthen the local economy and encourage domestic investment,” he said.
Among the locally supplied infrastructure components are distribution transformers. Over the past six months alone, 3,944 transformers have been manufactured by local firms and put into service. In addition, domestic suppliers have provided over 32,000 insulators, more than 97,000 transformer protection items, more than 32,000 meters of conductors and cables, and over 201,000 other hardware components.
Mr. Abrar emphasized that EEU is actively supporting local manufacturers, encouraging them to maintain quality standards, while manufacturers are responding by entering into formal contracts with the utility.
He also noted that the limited availability of inputs has contributed to delays in responding to customer service requests. Efforts are underway to address this challenge by both expanding local production and supplementing supply through selective imports when necessary.
Reported by Melaku Gedif