Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has articulated a comprehensive vision for Ethiopia's future prosperity, grounding it firmly in the transformative power of information in the 21st century. He contends that in this new era, a nation's progress is inextricably linked to its capacity to generate and effectively utilize information, stating unequivocally, "The era is one of information; it is necessary to produce and create information. If this is not done, prosperity will not come."
This fundamental recognition of the information age serves as the bedrock for what the Prime Minister describes as the four essential pillars upon which Ethiopia's prosperity must be built. These are not isolated components but rather interconnected facets of a holistic national development strategy.
The first pillar is Hardware, or the development of robust physical infrastructure. This includes critical elements like roads, electricity networks, and telecommunication data centers. Prime Minister Abiy views this as the vital base, the tangible framework that facilitates the changes needed and provides the necessary foundation upon which all other advancements can rest.
Building upon this physical structure is the second pillar, Humanware, focusing on human resources. Prosperity, in this context, requires empowering the Ethiopian people with the necessary capabilities and knowledge. This enables them not only to effectively utilize and improve the infrastructure being built but, crucially, to innovate and generate new ideas and solutions, driving progress from within.
The third pillar, Infoware, directly addresses the central theme of information itself. In today's dynamic global landscape, the Prime Minister observes the immense and rapid financial implications tied to information use, noting how billions in wealth can be gained or lost instantaneously based on its application. This highlights the strategic importance of information as a resource that must be mastered.
Finally, the fourth pillar is Institutional Building. This emphasizes the necessity of creating strong, enduring national institutions. These are structures designed to outlast individual leaders, ensuring continuity and stability in governance and development efforts, rather than being built up only to crumble with a change in personnel.
Prime Minister Abiy's framework suggests that true prosperity in the information age requires simultaneous focus on these four interconnected areas. He underscored the importance of having a clear objective from the outset of any undertaking, asserting that with a defined destination and consistent, determined action, success is not merely a possibility but an "inevitable" outcome.
This perspective frames the pursuit of prosperity as a deliberate, structured process built on the foundational power of information and supported by essential physical, human, informational, and institutional strengths.