The Office of the Prime Minister hosted an experience-sharing program on the 5 Million Ethiopian Coders Initiative on Monday (August 10), bringing together graduates, industry leaders, policymakers, and young professionals. The event followed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s call to Ethiopian youth to make productive use of the summer break.
The Prime Minister had urged young people to seize the opportunity to build digital skills through the free 5 Million Coders courses, which offer internationally recognized certification. More than five million Ethiopians have already registered, and the initiative is now pushing to expand participation to seven million youth – making the summer break a key window for those who haven’t yet enrolled.
The exchange program opened with a keynote from Billene Seyoum, Head of the Press Secretariat at the Office of the Prime Minister. She framed youth technical capability as a vital national asset and reaffirmed the Premier’s call to reach seven million coders this summer.
Billene said the Medemer government has, over the past several years, expanded digital services while also investing in digital infrastructure, developing digital skills, and building institutions aligned with the Digital Ethiopia 2025 Strategy and its successor, Digital Ethiopia 2030. The institution hosting the event, she noted, was established six years ago as part of a forward-looking effort to anticipate Ethiopia’s future and identify where the country could leapfrog. She pointed to Ethiopia’s Artificial Intelligence policy and the construction of the first AI university in Africa as evidence of this preparation.
She described the 5 Million Coders Initiative as a major national effort to prepare young people for digital-based education, employment, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The original target- five million coders within three years – was reached in just two. That milestone prompted PM Abiy’s June call to raise the bar to seven million, and Billene urged those not yet registered to join.
Digital skills, she said, can unlock better jobs, including remote work with international companies, while strengthening Ethiopia’s workforce and making the country more attractive to global investors. Their applications span agriculture, health, education, finance, tourism, manufacturing, and beyond. She pushed participants not to chase certificates for their own sake, but to use their skills to solve real problems in their communities. August and the rainy season, she added, are an ideal window to register, complete the free courses, and grow into problem-solvers who can contribute to their communities and the country. The certificates, she reminded the audience, carry international recognition and she encouraged graduates to bring their peers along.
A panel discussion followed, featuring four speakers: Abiyot Bayu, Senior Advisor at the Ministry of Innovation and Technology; Betelhem Dessie, founder and CEO of Gheeroo; Mahlet Seyoum, a graduate now working in the tech industry; and Azmeraw Taddese, a graduate who built a website dedicated to the training program.
Their discussion converged on a few key points:
- Digital skills are essential to Ethiopia’s digital transformation and inclusive economic growth
- Human capital matters as much as digital infrastructure
- The initiative has widened access to foundational programming, AI, and data science skills
- Coding builds problem-solving and systems-level thinking, not just technical knowledge
- Young people should apply their skills to real-world problems rather than treat certificates as the end goal
Panelists also stressed the need for continuous learning as technology and AI reshape the job market and noted that digital skills can create opportunities regardless of location, academic background, or professional field.
The exchange reaffirmed the 5 Million Ethiopian Coders Initiative as a driver of Ethiopia’s digital talent, opportunity for its youth, and broader national transformation.