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The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic Ethiopia, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) jointly launched an Entrepreneurship Development Programme for Ethiopia at a special ceremony presided by H.E. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
Making his keynote address, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said, "This project is very important for a host of reasons that have significant bearing on the national development endeavors that we are undertaking in this country." He added, "As you may well know, one of the challenges we have in this country that stands in the way of ensuring rapid industrial growth is the acute lack of social capital and particularly that of entrepreneurship skills."
The Program was developed by Ministry of Urban Development and Construction (MUDCo) and UNDP to unleash a transformational change through tapping into the creativity and drive of existing and aspiring Ethiopian entrepreneurs to accelerate country’s economic growth, create jobs, wealth and alleviate poverty.
The launch was attended by a wide sector of stakeholders including ministers, other members of the public sector, the private sector as well as Ambassadors and development partners.
Addressing the participants, UNDP Resident Representative reflected, "Today we are here to launch Ethiopia’s Entrepreneurship Development Programme. But, in my view, we are here to do more than unveil a specific programme. As I look around this room I believe it is apt to conclude that we are all gathered here to pay tribute to the spirit and power of entrepreneurship."
Ethiopia’s Entrepreneurship Development Programme will provide training and comprehensive business advisory services to micro- and small-scale enterprises. The programme will develop enterprises of over 200,000.00 (two hundred thousand) entrepreneurs through provision of entrepreneurial skills training and business advisory services. In order to ensure the sustainability of the programme, twenty five thousand additional people will be trained as Trainers and a further 20,000 trained as Business Advisors to support the implementation of the program.
The three year Programme, running from 2012-2015, will require USD 26.3 million, of which 6million USD has already been allocated by UNDP.
