#News Ethiopia Champions Africa’s Growth and Innovation at 39th AU Summit The speech underscored the continent’s demographic advantage, noting that by 2035 Africa will add more young people to the global workforce than the rest of the world combined. At the 39th African Union Summit, Ethiopian leadership presented a vision for the continent’s economic growth, technological advancement, and sustainable development. Emphasizing Africa’s potential, Ethiopia noted that many African economies are among the fastest growing globally, with projections suggesting growth rates on par with or even surpassing Asia. Under the Digital Ethiopia 2030 plan, Ethiopia is building citizen-focused digital public infrastructure, integrating national digital ID systems with payments and data exchanges to facilitate secure and seamless access to services. Appreciation was extended to outgoing AU chairperson President Joe Lorenzo, while best wishes were offered to the new chairperson.

Source: Ethiopian News February 16, 2026 14:50 UTC