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Addis Ababa – 6 October 2023 - The government of Italy and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) today signed a €3.5 million project to support the Government of Ethiopia to increase productivity through private sector leadership and the supporting role of the government. The project will be implemented in Addis Ababa and in Jimma, the largest city of Oromia region.
The initiative aims to improve the delivery of technical services to youth and women, provide integrated services to improve design skills, promote products, innovative mindsets, start-up development and facilitate public-private partnership (PPP) engagements.
The project will focus on providing, in close coordination with the Ministry of Labor & Skills, ad hoc technical services to young local talent. Special focus will be given to women and young people operating, or intending to operate, in the sectors of design, leather, fashion, textiles, ecotourism, coffee, and other strategic areas defined in the country's ‘Ten Year Development Plan’.
UNIDO will promote and apply entrepreneurship development tools and methodologies as well as foster the design and development of products, sales services, digital and innovative services.
The initiative will apply the lessons learned from the Addis Ababa Creative Hub by establishing a relationship of collaboration and exchange between the new Hub in Jimma and the one in Addis Ababa, which is the result of a previous contribution of the Italian Cooperation.
Isabella Lucaferri, Head of AICS Addis Ababa Office (Ethiopia, South Sudan and Djibouti) said “We are delighted to collaborate again with UNIDO, after the success of the Creative Hub in Addis Ababa. This Creative Hub is the first of its kind in Ethiopia, conceived as a physical and digital meeting point to support young innovative entrepreneurs (especially women) and designers. In 1 year, the Hub has offered more than 100 training and workshops in the creative industry sector and served more than 150 local manufacturers. With this new project the same innovative experience will be repeated also to Jimma, where young people also find the right support and inspiration to be integrated in the job market”.
Press contact details:
Chiara Ciampa
Communication Officer AICS Addis Ababa
Tel:+251944224511
Email: chiara.ciampa@aics.gov.it