"Borrowed data or reliance on external entities cannot fulfill our national aspirations," Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared today at a national summit celebrating Ethiopia's strides toward statistical independence. Speaking at the event themed "Data Sovereignty for Policy Autonomy," the Prime Minister framed domestic data collection and analysis as a critical national asset and a foundational pillar for building a strong, self-reliant nation-state. He asserted that developing independent domestic capacity is the only way to guarantee absolute policy freedom and steer the country's future without foreign interference.

Touring the accompanying national exhibition, PM Abiy highlighted the rapid progress in the digital sector, noting that witnessing complex data systems driven entirely by the knowledge and skills of Ethiopian citizens is a source of immense national pride. Rather than relying on rigid external metrics, the Prime Minister urged a paradigm shift toward a more human-centric data strategy. He concluded that the ultimate measure of Ethiopia's data sovereignty must not just be abstract numbers, but tangible, real-world improvements in the daily lives of its citizens.