Ethiopia is set to open a dedicated artificial intelligence (AI) university within the next six months, according to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Speaking at a forum at Addis Ababa University, the prime minister announced that preparations for the institution are complete. He claimed the university would be only the second in the world to focus exclusively on AI, following the establishment of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in the UAE.

The new institution aims to graduate up to 1,000 highly skilled professionals annually. In a bid to position Ethiopia as a regional tech hub, PM Abiy confirmed that 100 scholarships would be reserved for students from across Africa.

"Two scholarship opportunities will be provided to every African country," the Prime Minister told the forum.Admission for Ethiopian students will be strictly merit-based, with the Prime Minister stressing that only those with the highest competitive scores would be accepted to ensure "academic excellence."

The curriculum is expected to move away from general theory, focusing instead on practical applications in several key fields: machine learning and computing, robotics and data mining, and artificial intelligence research.

The project will draw on expertise from the Ethiopian diaspora and international academics to lead its research and teaching departments.

The announcement comes as Ethiopia seeks to modernize its economy through digital transformation. PM Abiy said the university would "elevate Ethiopia’s global competitiveness" and prepare a new generation of students for the "modern knowledge transfer" required in the 21st century.