AGP Executive Report

Ethiopia’s Green Legacy: Foreign forestry researchers praised Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, citing 56.2 billion seedlings planted and calling it a practical model for climate resilience, forest protection, and food security. Red Sea Access: An Addis Ababa University researcher said Red Sea access is “existential” for Ethiopia’s security, sovereignty, economy, and diplomacy, while senior officials reiterated the need for peaceful, dialogue-based maritime engagement. Digital Health & AI: Ethiopian and African psychiatrists met in Addis Ababa to discuss AI-powered digital psychiatry to expand access to mental healthcare, with a focus on tech sovereignty and locally adaptive tools. Ethiopia–Israel/Global Tech: CBE Capital’s CEO argued Ethiopia’s tech and AI push could boost global competitiveness, pointing to plans to train millions of coders. Power Trade: Ethiopia’s 100MW trial electricity supply to Tanzania ended, but a long-term commercial deal is still being negotiated, alongside grid readiness work. BRICS Tech/Policy: Coverage of the New Delhi BRICS summit highlighted the bloc’s push for resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability—while Ethiopia is listed among members. Security & Sanctions: The U.S. expired Eritrean sanctions tied to a national emergency and removed specific entries from its sanctions list; separately, the U.S. delisted Ethiopia from an arms embargo under ITAR changes. Data Security: Seclore promoted data-centric security and sovereign AI protection across Middle East, Turkey, and Africa.

AI in Mental Health: Ethiopian and African psychiatrists met in Addis Ababa to push AI-powered digital psychiatry, aiming to expand access while keeping “technological sovereignty” in focus. Red Sea Security: Senior Ethiopian officials reiterated that Red Sea access underpins trade, security, regional integration and diplomacy, as Houthi advances raise risks for Ethiopia and neighbors. BRICS Transport & Tech: The New Delhi Declaration 2026 highlights practical cooperation in civil aviation, logistics supply chains, railway research and transport decarbonisation—an incremental path over big corridor promises. Digital Payments: Dashen Bank and Visa signed a five-year deal to expand digital payments in Ethiopia. Education & Research: THE World University Rankings 2027 will list a record 2,297 universities across 118 countries, with Ethiopia returning after last appearing in 2025. Energy Reality Check: A report on Nigeria’s power gap underscores the need to measure reliability by communities actually getting electricity—relevant as Ethiopia scales power access. Health Breakthrough: Ethiopian-born craniopagus twins separated in St. Louis continue recovery after a complex, technology-enabled surgery.

AI & Jobs: CBE Capital Investment Bank CEO Zemedeneh Negatu says Ethiopia’s tech and AI push could turn the country into “Silicon Valley of Africa,” citing plans to train 5 million coders and the need for long-term national ownership. Sea Access & Security: Ethiopian officials, in a panel on Nile River and sea access, stressed Red Sea access as vital for economic development, national security, regional integration and diplomacy—pursuing it through peaceful dialogue. Digital Payments: Dashen Bank and Visa signed a five-year partnership to expand digital payments in Ethiopia, including card issuance and cross-border transactions. Solar Uptake Gap: A new look at rooftop solar across Africa highlights huge potential but low adoption, with a few countries driving most installations. Health Tech & Care Access: Ethiopia’s exit examinations debate flags major economic and social costs, while a separate report spotlights how lack of dialysis access can be fatal in Ghana. Biodiversity Discovery: Scientists report a new egg-eating snake species discovered in Ethiopia’s Harenna Forest after seven years of study. Conservation Monitoring: Ethiopia’s Gambella National Park added to CITES’ MIKE elephant monitoring network, joining new sites in Ghana and Nigeria.

Digital Payments: Dashen Bank and Visa signed a five-year partnership to expand digital payments in Ethiopia, including card issuance, merchant acceptance, and cross-border transactions. Mining & Power Infrastructure: Allied Gold reported progress at Ethiopia’s Kurmuk Mine, with grid connection commissioned and first ore fed into the crushing circuit as commissioning moves toward operations. Health & Surgery Access: Ethiopian-born craniopagus twins Hiyab and Wuhbto reached St. Louis for life-changing separation surgery, highlighting specialized pediatric care access. Agriculture Data for Cleaner Yields: A first-of-its-kind fertilizer study mapped crop-specific nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium use worldwide (1980–2022), aiming to boost food while cutting pollution. Biodiversity Discovery: Researchers identified a new egg-eating snake species in Ethiopia’s Harenna Forest after seven years of study, combining breeding, comparisons, and genetics. Conservation Monitoring: Ethiopia’s Gambella National Park was added to CITES’ MIKE elephant monitoring network, strengthening systematic wildlife tracking. Science Policy & Skills: Ethiopia’s university exit examinations face scrutiny after a workshop-linked study flagged low pass rates and major economic losses from delayed certification. BRICS Tech/Trade Angle: Coverage of BRICS’ New Delhi Declaration highlights commitments on trade facilitation, customs cooperation, and cross-border payments—relevant to Ethiopia’s regional tech and commerce ambitions.

Ethiopia’s Sea Access Momentum: Ethiopia’s push for sovereign Red Sea access is gaining “great consensus,” with IFA’s Gizachew Asrat stressing historical port links, growing trade, and the need for trust-building with neighbors. Nile Basin Narrative Backlash: An ENA interview says Egypt’s media framing of Nile Basin countries as stereotypes is harming public perceptions, including toward Ethiopia, by treating Nile water as Egypt’s sole resource. Higher Education Reform Costs: Ethiopia’s national university exit exams are under fire after a ministry workshop cited major economic and social losses, with low pass rates and many graduates unable to secure jobs without certification. Telecom Expansion: Safaricom Ethiopia opened three new customer service outlets in Debre Markos, creating 250+ local jobs and boosting support for customers and businesses. Conservation Monitoring: Ethiopia’s Gambella National Park joined CITES’ MIKE elephant monitoring network, adding to Africa’s push for systematic, evidence-based wildlife protection. Nuclear Policy in Vienna: Ethiopia is participating in the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, focusing on nuclear safety, security, and peaceful applications like cancer care and food security. Climate & Land Restoration: A reforestation story highlights community tree-planting in Ethiopia as a practical response to deforestation, food insecurity, and climate stress. BRICS Tech & Trade Signals: Multiple reports from the New Delhi BRICS summit focus on practical outcomes—cross-border payments, customs cooperation, and technology partnerships—while Ethiopia is listed among member states shaping the agenda.

Nuclear Policy: Ethiopia joined the IAEA’s 70th General Conference in Vienna, where member states discussed nuclear safety, security, peaceful uses, and expanding access to cancer treatment. AI & Compute: Ethiopia’s hydropower squeeze is hitting crypto hard: Ethiopian Electric Power cut electricity to Bitcoin miners to 23% of contracted levels after reservoir inflows fell, with another review due in October. EV Infrastructure: Kenya leads Africa on EV charging with 235 stations, while Ethiopia has 100—showing uneven rollout and a gap in how well networks serve different vehicle types. Biodiversity Discovery: Researchers formally described a new egg-eating snake from Ethiopia’s Harenna Forest, Dasypeltis albigularis, using seven years of fieldwork and DNA comparisons. Health Tech Training: RIX Industries and Build Health International launched hands-on training for high-pressure medical oxygen compressors in Rwanda, aiming to strengthen biomedical maintenance capacity across sub-Saharan Africa. Global Tech Diplomacy: BRICS 2026 in New Delhi adopted the New Delhi Declaration, with repeated emphasis on tech cooperation and global governance reform.

New Species Discovery: Researchers formally described a new egg-eating snake, Dasypeltis albigularis (White-throated Egg-eater), from Ethiopia’s Harenna Forest after seven years of DNA work, captive breeding, and comparisons—showing how similar-looking relatives can hide distinct species. Ethiopia–Israel Tech & Health Ties: Ethiopia and Israel are expanding cooperation in agriculture, health, water, energy, investment and technology, with Israeli firms boosting fruit and vegetable production in Bishoftu and supporting export growth. Ethiopia Growth Outlook: CBE Capital Investment Bank’s CEO says Ethiopia could sustain 9–11% annual growth for decades, driven by mechanizing agriculture and scaling labor-intensive manufacturing toward higher-value, tech-based production. Medical Oxygen Training: RIX Industries and Build Health International will train biomedical technicians on high-pressure medical oxygen compressors in Rwanda, aiming to strengthen oxygen reliability across sub-Saharan Africa. Digital Health & AI: Africa is pushing AI and digital health to detect outbreaks earlier and speed responses, with leaders stressing that connected systems must turn alerts into real action. Electric Mobility for Industry: Ethiopia’s transport minister argues electric mobility should power local industrial development—building engineering/software skills, supply chains, and battery recycling instead of becoming an import market. Forex Market Watch: Ethiopia’s recent foreign-exchange auctions left dollars unsold and showed big differences between banks’ dollar buying/selling rates, making access depend on where you buy. Climate Risk: WaterAid warns Super El Niño could disrupt livelihoods and supply chains across Asia and East Africa, raising the stakes for preparedness and recovery. BRICS Context: Ethiopia’s role in the 18th BRICS Summit and the New Delhi Declaration kept focus on global governance reform and technology-linked cooperation, alongside broader debates on fairness and implementation.

Digital Health & AI: Africa is pushing connected health systems that use AI to spot outbreaks earlier and move alerts from community workers to labs and logistics faster, with Ebola in DR Congo cited as a warning against fragmented data. BRICS Tech & Governance: At the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, leaders adopted a New Delhi Declaration covering trade, finance, technology and supply resilience, while South Africa proposed an independent scientific evaluation mechanism for AI with human-control and incident reporting. Ethiopia in the BRICS orbit: Multiple reports highlight Ethiopia’s role in BRICS discussions, including support for Ethiopia’s WTO bid and calls for stronger African industrialization and infrastructure. Ethiopia’s Hydro Shock for Crypto: Ethiopia cut electricity to Bitcoin and other data-mining firms by about 75% amid hydropower shortfalls, raising questions for hydro-dependent mining. Somaliland–Ethiopia Fiber Route: Somaliland’s Berbera is testing a new digital corridor via submarine cables linked to terrestrial fibre reaching Ethiopia and South Sudan, aiming for resilient cloud and AI connectivity. Climate Watch: A “super” El Niño is forming, with NOAA flagging very strong conditions that could bring heavier rain to parts of East Africa and drought elsewhere. Mining & Community Rights: Ethiopia’s Oromo Liberation Army warned extractive companies to secure transparent local community participation and environmental standards, citing the Tulu Kapi incident.

AI for the Global South: The Gates Foundation says it will spend at least Sh129 billion over two years to expand AI access, warning that language and local needs gaps could leave billions behind. AI governance: South Africa’s Ramaphosa backs a BRICS plan for independent scientific evaluation of AI, pairing human-control rules with safeguards and investment in sovereign AI capacity. BRICS tech push: China’s Xi proposes an open-source AI zone for BRICS, aiming to reduce dependence on a few big tech players. Ethiopia & health: WHO-linked reporting highlights Ethiopia’s malaria rebound, with conflict and weak services blamed for millions of cases and rising incidence in Amhara. Ethiopia & mining tensions: Ethiopia’s Oromo Liberation Army warns extractive firms in Oromia to involve local communities and meet environmental standards, citing the Tulu Kapi incident. Climate & power: Ethiopia’s hydropower shortfall reportedly cuts electricity to Bitcoin and other data-mining operations by about 75%, raising questions for hydro-dependent mining. Coffee tech (Ethiopia-linked): AuraVeo’s QR-enabled packaging lets El Caficultor turn retail coffee packs into subscription leads and update content without reprinting. Payments infrastructure: PAPSS expands across Africa, pushing cross-border payments toward wider business and consumer use. Elections tech & readiness: AU-led assessment missions, including Ethiopia’s Demeke Mekonnen, focus on electoral technology, logistics, inclusion and transparency ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 vote.

AI & Inclusion: The Gates Foundation warns AI could leave billions behind as most training data skews English, pushing a need for models that fit poorer countries’ languages and realities. BRICS Tech Push: Xi Jinping proposes a China-led open-source AI zone for BRICS, aiming to share large language models and training so members don’t rely on a few firms. Health in Focus (Ethiopia): WHO-linked reporting shows Ethiopia’s malaria burden topping 7.3 million cases in 2024, with conflict and weak facilities hurting control, while newer studies point to rising incidence in Amhara and diagnostic limits. Energy Access Finance: Optasia plans “electricity lending” after acquiring Finergi, using prepaid meters and mobile credit to expand power access. Climate Governance (Addis Ababa): CCDA-14 ends with calls for Africa to move from climate pledges to climate agency, backed by predictable, non-debt climate finance. Digital Rights for Refugees: GSMA says inclusion for refugee women must go beyond connectivity to cover identity, affordability, literacy, privacy, and safety. BRICS Diplomacy: BRICS adopts a New Delhi declaration urging “maximum restraint” over US-Iran tensions and backs Ethiopia’s WTO accession.

BRICS Summit Wrap (New Delhi): Ethiopia’s PM Abiy Ahmed joined BRICS leaders as the New Delhi Declaration was adopted, including 140 positions on governance, peace, sustainable growth—and BRICS support for Ethiopia’s WTO accession. AI for the Global South: China’s Xi proposed an open-source AI zone for BRICS, aiming to share large language models and training so countries aren’t locked out by a few firms. Tech & Policy at BRICS: India’s Modi warned against the weaponisation of technology and critical minerals, while leaders pushed resilient supply chains and practical cooperation. Digital Inclusion (Refugees): GSMA says inclusion for refugee women must go beyond connectivity to cover identity registration, affordability, digital skills, privacy and safety—citing Ethiopia-linked barriers. Ethiopia Education Reform: Minister Berhanu Nega says reforms target quality and equity via better teachers, expanded early childhood access, and curriculum upgrades. Germany–Denmark–Ethiopia Ties: Cultural diplomacy, academic exchange and green transformation were highlighted in renewed cooperation. US Trade Shock: The US finalized anti-dumping/anti-subsidy duties on solar cells from India, Indonesia and Laos, raising pressure on clean-energy supply chains.

BRICS Summit tech push: At the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, PM Modi warned against the “weaponisation” of technology and critical minerals, while Xi announced a BRICS open-source AI ecosystem aimed at helping the Global South. Ethiopia’s digital agenda: Ethiopia’s PM Abiy used the summit week to stress digital public infrastructure and tech sovereignty, linking capital, technology and markets to development. AI sovereignty in Addis Ababa: An ACT-Africa workshop urged African researchers to build sovereign foundation models tailored to local languages and priorities, not just adopt foreign AI. Supply-chain resilience: Xi also called for “stable and unimpeded” industrial and supply chains as disruptions threaten trade routes. Food and risk mechanisms: Putin proposed BRICS insurance and a joint grain market to reduce vulnerability under sanctions. Local climate pressure in Kenya: Kenya’s El Niño fears are driving urgent relocation and preparedness as floods threaten livelihoods. Agritech for drylands: Dryland Congress 2026 ended with the Delhi Declaration on Drylands, calling for South-South cooperation, data systems, and innovation to boost dryland farming.

BRICS Summit Wrap (New Delhi): The 18th BRICS Summit ended with adoption of the New Delhi Declaration, with Ethiopia’s PM Abiy Ahmed saying BRICS can connect capital, technology and markets to boost value where resources are found, while leaders pushed a more representative global order. AI & Digital Cooperation: China’s Xi unveiled a “Greater BRICS” push including a BRICS AI open-source initiative, plus plans for digital industries, intelligent manufacturing and talent development. Food & Insurance for Trade Resilience: Vladimir Putin proposed a BRICS grain market and an insurance mechanism to reduce vulnerability to sanctions and external pressure. Critical Minerals & Tech Controls: Modi warned against “weaponising” critical minerals and technology export controls that could slow shared progress. Ethiopia–Kazakhstan Links: Abiy and Kazakhstan’s Tokayev discussed digitalization, trade, investment and defense cooperation on the BRICS sidelines. Ethiopia–U.S. Business & Peace Visit: A U.S. Assistant Secretary visited Ethiopia to support trade and regional stability, including talks tied to aviation and critical minerals. Humanitarian Tech from Italy: Researchers turned discarded cardboard boxes into portable solar cookers for emergency camps, targeting fuel-free boiling and water pasteurization.

BRICS Summit Tech & Policy: India’s 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi wrapped with the New Delhi Declaration 2026, pushing UN Security Council reform and local-currency trade, while also flagging AI, digital public infrastructure, fintech, health, food and energy security as priority cooperation areas; leaders also backed Ethiopia’s WTO accession bid. Ethiopia–Russia Ties: Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed met Vladimir Putin on BRICS sidelines to deepen defence/security, trade & investment, education and technology cooperation. Ethiopia’s Digital Education Push: Ethiopia plans to integrate AI into the core school curriculum under Digital Ethiopia 2030, building on earlier school computer labs and internet connectivity. Ethiopia Logistics Digitization: ESL and the Ethio-Djibouti Railway rolled out digital freight booking and tracking portals to cut delays and improve cargo payments and documentation. Local Tech Governance & Health: Ethiopia is tackling an air quality crisis tied to black carbon/PM2.5, while a rights group warns attacks on hospitals and health workers are worsening in northern regions. Finance Sector Reform: Ethiopia’s EDIF is considering shifting deposit insurance contributions from a flat rate to a risk-based target fund model.

BRICS Summit in New Delhi: Leaders unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration 2026 after late-night talks, pushing UNSC reform, condemning terrorism, and calling for conflict prevention plus stronger people-to-people cooperation. Energy & Trade: BRICS backed a just, orderly, equitable energy transition and rejected the EU’s carbon border tax as protectionist. Local-currency push (no BRICS coin): Ethiopia’s partners and others reiterated there’s no proposal for a BRICS currency, while trade in local currencies and better payments are encouraged to cut costs. Ethiopia at the table: PM Abiy said Ethiopia will leverage BRICS capital, technology and markets for minerals, renewables and industry, and he held a constructive Ethiopia–Russia discussion on defense, trade, education and technology. India–UAE tech & energy ties: Modi met Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince, highlighting cooperation across defence, AI, space, critical minerals, energy and connectivity. Tech spotlight: BRICS chairship also highlighted digital public infrastructure, a science and research repository, and startup collaboration.

BRICS Summit Security: India’s 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi kicks off with heavy security at Bharat Mandapam, including about 15,000 Delhi Police personnel and nearly 200 CAPF units, plus dog squads, as leaders converge under the theme “Building Resilience for Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainable Development.” Global Health & AI: WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrives for the summit, with Modi and UN Secretary-General António Guterres also stressing UN reforms and discussing human-centric AI, renewable energy, and global food security. Trade, Tech & Payments: At the BRICS Business Forum, Putin argued that business-to-business ties and scientific progress underpin resilience, while Iran’s Pezeshkian pushed for more local-currency trade and stronger BRICS financial tools. Ethiopia Angle: Ethiopia is listed among BRICS members as the bloc expands, and the week also carried Ethiopia-focused tech and development coverage, including AI capability building and digital identity export efforts. Africa Skills Week: Separate from BRICS, Africa Skills Week 2026 in Zimbabwe is set to spotlight skills, innovation, and industrial transformation for investment and partnerships.