Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Dr.) has identified agriculture as the primary engine for Ethiopia’s planned economic transformation, calling it the essential "stepping stone" required to unlock the country’s potential and overcome systemic challenges.
Addressing senior leaders of the ruling Prosperity Party in a training session focused on "Visionary Sectoral Progress," the Prime Minister outlined a three-stage strategy for national development under his Medemer (Synergy) political philosophy.
The Three-Phase Development Concept
Dr. Abiy introduced the framework as follows:
- The Stepping Stone: Focused on freeing national capacity from current crises.
- The Crossing Point: The sector that bridges the current reality and the future vision.
- The Launch Pad: The platform for long-term, sustained growth.
According to the Prime Minister, the immediate priority is the Stepping Stone, which is rooted firmly in the agricultural sector.
"Agriculture is the primary way to free our potential from challenges," Dr. Abiy stated. He argued that the decision to place the sector at the foundation of the plan is due to the vast, untapped capacity in land and water resources that remains unutilized.
Shifting from Dependency to Productivity
The prime minister stressed the need for a "new vision" to guide the sector, demanding intensive effort on rural transition to change the nation’s narrative.
"We must work intensely on rural transition so that dependency becomes history and productivity becomes our identity," he asserted.
He called for farmers to produce significantly more for commercial sale than for subsistence, urging leaders to focus on modernizing agricultural practices and technologies. Dr. Abiy concluded that only through this focused approach can agricultural output experience the rapid growth necessary to transition the country to the next phase of development.
