Addis Ababa, November 7, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s Medemer philosophy can help African countries combine their individual strengths, overcome fragmentation and transform their collective potential into shared prosperity, Minister Bikila Hurisa has said.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Second African Political Parties Summit in Addis Ababa, Bikila, Coordinator for Democratic System Building at the Office of the Prime Minister, said Medemer is fundamentally rooted in cooperation, unity and synergy, offering African countries a way to mobilize their resources and capabilities towards common development goals.
He described Medemer as “the philosophy of cooperation, coming together, joining hands, and connecting the past, the present, and the future,” emphasizing that its relevance extends beyond Ethiopia and that other African countries can adapt its principles to their own national realities.
The Minister said the philosophy has guided Ethiopia’s political, economic and social reforms over the past eight years, adding that the country’s experience offers valuable lessons for African nations seeking to accelerate their own transformation.
He explained that Medemer brings together the strengths of different actors and turns fragmented national potential into collective capacity, enabling countries to address shared challenges and advance sustainable development.
Bikila stressed that realizing this vision also requires political parties to rise above partisan differences and place citizens’ welfare and economic transformation at the centre of their responsibilities.
Reflecting on the summit’s theme, “Governing for Growth: Political Parties as Architects of Africa’s Economic Future,” he said the participation of both governing and opposition parties demonstrated the importance of cooperation in advancing national progress, regardless of political ideology.
“Whatever idea you have, whatsoever ideology you are governed with, ultimately you have to work for the transformation of the lives of your citizens and the economic transformation of your people,” he said.
He underscored that the true measure of a political party’s success lies in tangible improvements in people’s lives, rather than electoral victories or the pursuit of political power.
“Governing for growth is beyond competition. Governing for growth is beyond an electoral cycle. It is beyond enjoying power,” Bikila said, emphasizing the need for political parties to sustain development priorities beyond electoral contests and changes of government.
He also highlighted the importance of investing in Africa’s young generation, describing young people as the continent’s promise for the future, ENA reported. Equipping them with clarity of thought and pragmatic approaches, he said, is essential to building strong, united, productive and prosperous African states for generations to come.