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

Addis Ababa, September 9, 2026 (ENA)—Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called on African countries and the continent’s youth to embrace technological sovereignty and take greater ownership of Africa’s digital future.

The Prime Minister made the call in a message marking the 24th African Union Day, reaffirming Ethiopia’s longstanding role in Africa’s continental integration, from the establishment of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU).

In a social media post, the Premier  said Addis Ababa, the diplomatic capital of Africa and home to the AU headquarters, continues to play a central role in advancing continental integration, unity and shared prosperity.

“As we mark this day, we reaffirm the vision of an integrated and prosperous Africa, while looking ahead to the next frontier of our collective progress,” Prime Minister Abiy said.

In his capacity as the AU Champion for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Digital Health, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of greater African ownership of technological and digital development.

He urged African governments and young people to actively participate in shaping the continent’s digital transformation and to build the skills, innovative capacity and technological capabilities required to determine Africa’s digital future.

Prime Minister Abiy further underscored the importance of technological sovereignty in enabling Africa to harness emerging technologies to accelerate development, promote innovation and strengthen the continent’s position in the global economy.

“Ethiopia stands ready to build that future alongside our fellow Africans,” he said.