Ethiopia is engaged in a "long race" to transform its vast, untapped natural potential into national wealth, according to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), who used a high-stakes address in the Afar Region to outline a synchronized vision for tourism and food security.
Speaking yesterday, Sunday, during the inauguration of the Ni’een Le Palm Lodge, the Prime Minister framed the event not simply as the opening of a new resort, but as a catalyst for a tireless national sprint toward a developed economy. He noted that while the region’s unique natural assets including its archaeology, dense palm forests, and hot springs should have been commercialized decades ago, the current focus must be on aggressively closing that historical gap.
The PM specifically pointed to the completion of the lodge as the foundation of a larger "tourist village" that will link iconic destinations like Awash National Park and Mount Asbot, effectively removing the infrastructure bottlenecks that have long stifled the sector's growth.
The Prime Minister’s message carried a stern warning against complacency, using the metaphor of a "newly cleared field" to describe the project. Handing over the site’s management to Kuriftu Resorts and investor Tadiwos Getachew, he emphasized that for the "good seeds" of development to thrive, they require constant vigilance against the "weeds" of neglect and mismanagement. He assured the regional leadership that the government will remain an active partner in monitoring the project, making it clear that the state’s role does not end at construction but continues through the life of the investment to ensure it yields its full potential for the people of Afar.
This philosophy of urgent productivity was extended to the national agricultural sector, where the Prime Minister issued a critical directive regarding the current Belg (spring) season. Despite the strain of global supply chains for fuel and fertilizer, he urged the nation to capitalize on the seasonal rains to ensure food security. Setting an ambitious target of farming at least two million hectares with the potential to produce 40 million quintals of wheat from just half of that area—he warned that "he who wastes the opportunity of the Belg will also miss the Kiremt (summer)." By harmonizing Ethiopia’s free natural gifts with disciplined management, the Prime Minister reinforced a vision of a nation no longer willing to wait for prosperity, but one actively racing to secure it.
