Ethiopia elevates child welfare to national priority, says Addis Ababa Mayor

Addis Ababa, June 18, 2025 (FMC) — Ethiopia is intensifying its commitment to child welfare and early childhood development as a national priority, Addis Ababa Mayor Adanech Abiebie told the Africa Conference on Childcare held today at the African Union Headquarters.

Speaking under the conference theme “Building Partnerships for Accelerating Action towards Quality and Inclusive Childcare in Africa,” Mayor Adanech emphasized the importance of adapting Africa’s traditional communal values to modern urban realities. Invoking the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” she said the wisdom remains vital as cities grow and family structures evolve.

“That wisdom holds even more relevancy today,” Mayor Adanech said. “As a city grows, family changes and the pace of life accelerates, our task is to translate this timeless wisdom into today’s realities.”

The two-day conference convenes policymakers, development partners, and civil society leaders from across Africa to accelerate investment and cooperation in quality childcare systems. The initiative aligns with the aspirations of Agenda 2063, Agenda 2040, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mayor Adanech stressed that raising children is a shared responsibility across families, communities, and governments. “What does the village look like in the 21st century? And how do we ensure that every African child, especially in those early formative years, is nurtured with care, protected with dignity, and given the opportunity to thrive? We are all responsible to answer this question,” she said.

She further highlighted that Africa’s tradition of communal child care predates formal conventions and remains relevant today. “Long before conventions, African communities protected children through collective customs of care. Yet, we have also formalized this commitment,” she added, referencing the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

Focusing on Ethiopia, Mayor Adanech said child protection and equitable access to education remain top national priorities. In Addis Ababa, over 100,000 students benefit daily from dual-shift school enrollment, easing access to primary and secondary education.

The city’s Early Childhood Development Program, she explained, targets vulnerable children by expanding childcare centers, constructing inclusive playgrounds, and deploying thousands of trained parental support professionals. “These interventions aim to nurture children’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development from the earliest stages,” she said.

With Africa projected to have one billion children by 2055, the Mayor called on all stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and translate shared cultural values into coordinated action.

“The time to act is now,” she concluded.