Addis Ababa – In a landmark push to strengthen the capital’s educational infrastructure, the Addis Ababa City Administration has inaugurated 150 education projects in the 2017 budget year, with an investment exceeding 5.2 billion birr. Mayor Adanech Abebe, speaking through the City Communication Office, hailed the initiative as a generational investment in access, inclusion, and quality.
Among the completed projects are 14 brand-new schools and 64 expansions of existing institutions, delivering a total of 1,655 new classrooms. These additions also include the development of ICT rooms, science laboratories, and other essential learning facilities, reflecting the administration’s commitment to modernising public education.
“Beyond numbers, this is about equity,” the mayor noted, highlighting that many of the upgrades were designed with accessibility in mind. Dining halls, libraries, sports fields, toilets, and clean water services have been made more inclusive, with special attention given to the needs of students and teachers with disabilities.
The initiative marks one of the city’s most ambitious education undertakings in recent years, aiming to close gaps in classroom space, reduce overcrowding, and improve the overall learning environment for thousands of children.
Community involvement and collaboration across sectors were key to its success. “This achievement belongs to everyone who has worked to build a generation,” Mayor Adanech said, extending gratitude to planners, educators, builders, and civil servants who contributed to the projects.
For many parents and students, the new schools represent more than physical spaces, they offer the promise of a brighter future, closer to home. As Addis Ababa’s population continues to grow, such investments are not just timely, but essential to ensuring that no child is left behind in the classroom.