Addis Ababa, January 4, 2026 (FMC) — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called on Ethiopian scholars to assume stronger intellectual leadership by crafting a shared national narrative that is essential to breaking the country’s cycle of poverty and advancing sustainable prosperity.
The call was made during the 75th anniversary of Addis Ababa University, where the Prime Minister—an alumnus of the institution—delivered a guest lecture titled “The Role of Intellectuals in National Prosperity.”
The lecture was attended by senior academic leaders and high-ranking government officials and marked the culmination of a series of high-level commemorative events held over the past several weeks in celebration of the university’s milestone anniversary.
In his address, Prime Minister Abiy emphasized that scholars play a decisive role in Ethiopia’s development and must clearly recognize the leadership responsibilities entrusted to them across their respective disciplines.
He stressed that meaningful and lasting national progress requires scholars to help unite society around a common vision for Ethiopia’s future.
Underscoring the critical role of intellectuals in lifting the country out of entrenched poverty and guiding it toward comprehensive prosperity, the Prime Minister stated that effective leadership begins with self-mastery.
He asserted that leadership starts from within, noting that scholars must identify, listen to, and act upon their inner sense of purpose in order to achieve success and exert meaningful influence.
The Prime Minister further highlighted that scholars bear a crucial responsibility to provide effective leadership by fully utilizing the knowledge, authority, and influence they possess.
Describing leadership as the ability to master time and respond to the demands of one’s era, he emphasized that every moment must be used for its intended purpose.
He explained that a true scholar is one who participates in the race against time without being left behind or moving blindly ahead, stressing the importance of understanding the present while maintaining the ability to see beyond it.
Prime Minister Abiy also stated that ideas are the driving force of change and that scholars are the primary agents of transformation, calling on them to fulfill their intellectual role in politics, the economy, and human relations.
“Ideas create movement, and movement creates systems,” the Prime Minister said, emphasizing that the ideas generated by scholars must ultimately give rise to lasting institutions.