The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of Ethiopia (EDI) announced that Ethiopia has strengthened its first-place ranking in the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) activities leaderboard, regularly published by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN).
Dugassa Tesemma, Director of Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building at the Ethiopian Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), stated that this result was achieved through 9,758 events coordinated by EDI and involving other stakeholders.
The Director mentioned that more than 200 countries are participating in the Entrepreneurship Week, which is taking place under the theme "Let's Build Together," and that Ethiopia is leading by a wide margin, ahead of Algeria and Brazil.
He attributed this success to the work being done in the sector both during the Entrepreneurship Week and beyond.
He noted that the events included awareness creation work regarding the sector, providing capacity-building training for entrepreneurs, presenting policy ideas in collaboration with relevant bodies, and finding ways to solve the problems faced by entrepreneurs.
Dugassa pointed out that the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) continuously monitors and records tangible work aimed at stimulating entrepreneurship, and based on this, it releases the current ranking of countries.
Dugassa mentioned that the Ethiopian Entrepreneurship Week, which has been taking place across the country for the past few days, will conclude tomorrow with a recognition program, and he recalled that a lot of work was accomplished in the sector during the week.
He indicated that the week saw various activities such as training sessions, connecting entrepreneurs with partners, policy discussions, and other awareness-raising work.
He also mentioned that the events created a platform where entrepreneurs could pitch their ideas, which in turn inspired many to turn their ideas into action.
He stated that the week also included Trainer of Trainers (ToT) training for the instructors and leaders of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, aimed at enabling them to incorporate entrepreneurship into their new training policies.
Recalling that various discussions took place during the Entrepreneurship Week, he expressed that the participating officials from regional and city administrations would resolve issues that pose obstacles to the sector upon returning to their respective areas.
Dugassa noted that the international competition concludes on November 30, four days from now, and expressed his confidence that Ethiopia will finish in the same leading position.
The Director mentioned that the winning country will be recognized after November 30 and stated that achieving the first-place rank holds great significance for the country.
Stating that "If Ethiopia finishes first, it is considered as winning the Olympics," the Director pointed out that this will enable the country to attract investment, secure support for the sector, facilitate opportunities for people with ideas to turn them into action, and gain many other benefits.
Dugassa concluded by saying that the government is giving special attention and providing the necessary support to the sector, which will greatly contribute to national development by turning ideas into wealth.
