The head of Ethio telecom has delivered a stark prognosis for Africa’s technological future, asserting that continent-wide progress will stall for decades unless governments abandon what she described as “ad-hoc” policymaking in favor of a holistic development model.

Speaking on the fringes of the GSMA Ministerial Roundtable at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Frehiwot Tamru cautioned that the current trajectory of addressing connectivity barriers in isolation is condemning the continent to a prolonged state of digital exclusion.

While acknowledging the GSMA’s efforts to benchmark progress through its new Digital Africa Index, Frehiwot pointed to a significant intelligence gap. She noted that the reluctance of numerous African nations to submit comprehensive data has resulted in an incomplete picture of the landscape, hindering the ability of both investors and policymakers to make informed decisions.

Frehiwot argued that the traditional method of tackling hurdles—first coverage, then affordability, followed by relevance—is no longer viable. “We cannot afford to treat the digital divide as a linear problem to be solved step by step over decades,” she said. “If we continue to tackle infrastructure separately from device economics, or content separately from regulation, we will still be discussing this same gap in 2056.”

She proposed a synchronized model where network densification, handset subsidization, local innovation ecosystems, and adaptive legislation are pursued as a single, integrated agenda.

In a direct appeal to the regulators present, Frehiwot pushed for a fundamental rebranding of the telecom sector’s role in national development. She argued that viewing operators merely as commercial entities selling minutes and data packages is an outdated notion that stifles potential.

“We are the architects of the digital backbone upon which future economies will be built,” Frehiwot stated. She urged a shift toward co-creative regulation, where frameworks are designed in partnership with operators to unlock infrastructure investment and foster socio-economic growth.

The discussions highlighted a frustrating contradiction within the African market: while 4G signals blanket roughly 84% of the population, a significant portion remains offline due to the prohibitive cost of entry-level devices. Ethiopia’s participation in a GSMA pilot scheme aiming to introduce ultra-low-cost 4G smartphones—priced under $40—was cited as a critical test case for bridging this “usage gap.”

The economic imperative for swift action is immense. According to industry data presented at the roundtable, converting the millions of under-connected Africans into active users could inject an estimated $700 billion into the continent’s collective GDP by the end of the decade.

Ethiopia has positioned itself as one of Africa’s most dynamic hotel development markets, with nearly 80% of its planned hotel rooms now under construction – one of the highest ratios on the continent, according to the 2026 Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa report released Tuesday.

The W Hospitality Group report reveals Ethiopia currently has 5,964 rooms across 34 hotels in its development pipeline, ranking fifth among African nations by total volume. More significantly, 4,768 of those rooms – a striking 79.9% – are already under construction, placing Ethiopia second only to Kenya (79.5%) among the continent’s top 10 markets for construction momentum.

This construction-heavy pipeline signals that new hotel supply in Ethiopia will come online faster than in many competing markets, where projects remain stalled in earlier planning stages.

“Ethiopia and Kenya both have nearly 80% of their rooms under construction, closely followed by Tanzania at 77.5%,” said Trevor Ward, Managing Director of W Hospitality Group. “What stands out this year is the strength of East Africa in terms of projects moving forward. Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania show some of the highest construction ratios on the continent, which suggests that this is where we are likely to see new supply coming through in the short to medium term.”

The contrast with other major markets is stark. Nigeria, Africa’s third-largest pipeline by volume with 8,480 rooms, has only 39.2% of those rooms under construction. Egypt, which dominates the continent with a staggering 45,984 pipeline rooms, is actively building just over half (51.4%) of its planned capacity.

Ethiopian hotels in the pipeline average 175 rooms, slightly above the continental average, suggesting development focused on mid-to-large scale properties.

The East African construction boom comes as part of a broader continental expansion, with Africa’s total hotel pipeline reaching a record 123,846 rooms across 675 properties – an 18.6% year-on-year increase. However, the report warns that development activity is increasingly concentrated, with the top 10 countries now accounting for 79% of all pipeline rooms.

While more than 65,000 rooms are projected to open across Africa in 2026 and 2027, the report cautions that historical actualization rates suggest actual deliveries may fall short of current forecasts.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has issued new leadership appointments for the Addis Ababa Police Commission, effective from March 11, 2026.

Accordingly, the following officials have been appointed:  Lt. General Asrat Denero Commissioner of the Addis Ababa Police Commission, Assistant Commissioner Tofik Meded – Deputy Commissioner of the Addis Ababa Police Commission and Erzik Issa– Deputy Commissioner of the Addis Ababa Police Commission. (EBC)

Ethiopia has urged the global community to cooperate on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, emphasizing its role in supporting sustainable development, industrial growth, and reliable electricity supply for its rapidly growing population.

The appeal was made by Ethiopia’s Minister of Irrigation and Lowland Areas, Abraham Belay, who spoke on behalf of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at the Second Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris, France.

The summit, hosted by the Government of the French Republic in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), brought together Heads of State, government leaders, international organizations, financial institutions, and energy experts to discuss the future of civil nuclear energy amid rising global interest in clean and sustainable power solutions.

Addressing the summit, Minister Abraham highlighted Ethiopia’s energy challenges and the strategic rationale behind its nuclear program. (FMC)