Addis Ababa Awarded Best African Smart City For Corridor Development

5 Hrs Ago 29

Addis Ababa has won the Best Africa Smart Cities Award at the 2024 Africa Smart Cities Investment Summit in Nairobi (November 21-22). The award, announced by the Ethiopian Embassy in Nairobi, recognized Addis Ababa's exceptional Corridor Development Project, surpassing Kigali, Nairobi, Kampala, and Johannesburg among 36 other nominated African smart cities.

The award celebrates Mayor Adanech Abiebie's efforts, guided by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's vision, to build a competitive and impactful city. Mekonnen Yae, Deputy Head of the Mayor’s Office and Cabinet Affairs, accepted the award on Mayor Adanech's behalf, highlighting Addis Ababa's Corridor Development Project, Green Development initiatives (including the Green Legacy initiative), and People-Centered Smart City projects, such as pedestrian and cycling lanes. The city's success was also attributed to its implementation of Smart Governance, Smart Technologies and Innovations, Smart Mobility and Accessibility, and Smart Environments for Well-being and Job Creation.

The summit, organized by the Kenyan government, Nairobi County, UN-Habitat, Konza Technopolis, Dala Africa, Smart Africa, and AWS, brought together African IT ministers, mayors, and representatives from various organizations.

Significantly, Addis Ababa will host the next Africa Smart Cities Investment Summit from September 3 to 5, 2025. Deputy Head of Mission Ambassador Demeke Atnafu attributed this to Addis Ababa's status as not only the capital of Africa but also the world's third diplomatic center, extending an invitation to all African cities to attend.