Ethiopia: Prime Minister Abiy Urges African Leaders, Youth to Embrace Tech Sovereignty

What the report says

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed used a message marking the 24th African Union Day to urge African governments and young people to pursue technological sovereignty and take a larger role in shaping the continent’s digital future. The remarks were reported by the Ethiopian News Agency and distributed by AllAfrica, with the message dated in Addis Ababa, where the AU headquarters are based.

According to the report, Abiy framed Ethiopia’s capital as a long-time center of African diplomacy and integration, linking the country’s history with the former Organization of African Unity and the current African Union. He said Africa should look to the next stage of collective progress while keeping in view the goal of an integrated and prosperous continent.

In his role as the AU Champion for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health, Abiy emphasized the need for African ownership of digital and technological development. He encouraged countries and youth to build skills, innovation capacity and technical capabilities so Africa can better direct its digital transformation and benefit from emerging technologies.

The message matters because it reflects a broader policy debate across Africa about data, digital infrastructure and dependence on external technology providers. More generally, “technological sovereignty” usually refers to a country or region developing enough homegrown expertise and systems to reduce reliance on outside control, though the article itself focused on Abiy’s call for greater African participation rather than outlining specific policy measures.