Trip to Ethiopia

Mr. Wolfensohn visited Ethiopia on October 14-17, 2004. He was accompanied by Mrs. Wolfensohn, Messrs. Callisto Madavo, Gobind Nankani, Ishac Diwan, and Jeffrey Katz. This was Mr. Wolfensohn’s second visit to Ethiopia.

On October 15, Mr. Wolfensohn addressed the fourth meeting of the African Development Forum which was hosted by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). The theme of the forum was Governance. In his statement he indicated that good governance is essential to the success of the fight against poverty in Africa – which has 10% of the world’s population, 1% of the world’s income, the world’s highest density of poverty, is the world’s most vulnerable place in terms of achieving the MDGs, and where poverty has in fact increased over the past 20 years. He expressed the Bank’s agreement with the 10 priority areas for action in building capable and accountable states laid out in the "African Governance Report" that the ECA prepared as background for the meeting. He stressed that what is needed is the will and the commitment to deal with these issues. He also highlighted three topics to keep in the forefront of Africa’s development effort: continuing the fight against HIV/AIDS, utilizing information technology to help Africa accelerate its pace of development, and the importance of gender and the empowerment of women.

While in Ethiopia, Mr. Wolfensohn met with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and with key members of the Cabinet. At this meeting, the Government put forward a unified vision, their sectoral plans, and the results they were aiming to achieve. Mr. Wolfensohn was impressed by the development plan presented and by what the country was trying to achieve. Sectoral strategies and plans discussed were seen as realistic and able to form the basis for scaling up with support from the Bank and others.

In a meeting with representatives of the Private Sector, Mr. Wolfensohn listened to the concerns expressed by participants and noted the progress that has been made over the last few years – for example, the rapid growth in the number of horticultural exporters of roses, and the reduction in business registration requirements.

A highlight of his visit was a youth event with around 100 participants including representatives of youth organizations and groups from both Addis Ababa and Regional Youth associations, and youth activists. He was struck by the depth of insight and candor evident in the young people that attended the forum. Comprising around half of Ethiopia’s population, the youth could be mobilized to become a powerful force in helping Ethiopia to achieve the social and economic transition it is striving for. The meeting was hosted by the Minister of Youth and Culture and the Mayor of Addis Ababa. It was held at the Addis Ababa City Hall.

On October 16, he went on a field trip to Gibichu Woreda with the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister. The field trip demonstrated the importance of appropriate linkages between agriculture and agro-processing firms to ensure sustainable income and economic growth. Mr. Wolfensohn saw how agricultural research was being integrated into farmer’s production and how this was contributing to improved household livelihoods, diversification, and investing in high value operations. As part of the field trip, he visited a lentil splitting mill and talked to the mill operators. He visited farmers at a field planted with lentils and durum wheat. He also attended a rural townhall meeting at the Debreziet sub-station with beneficiary farmer groups, traders and researchers. Finally, he attended a town hall meeting with the woreda council and representatives of the residents of Gimbichu at Chefe Donsa town. The field trip was jointly organized by the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization (EARO), the Debreziet Research Center, and the Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau of Oromia.

Mr. Wolfensohn left Ethiopia with a sense of excitement about what the country is trying to achieve. He was also energized by experiencing firsthand what "scaling up" can mean for a country like Ethiopia. Development partners, including the Bank, now need to step up and provide the financial and technical support needed to help Ethiopians achieve their vision. External partners expressed support for what the country was trying to do and a willingness to work together in providing assistance during a dinner they had with Mr. Wolfensohn while he was in Ethiopia. On the part of the Bank Group, Mr. Wolfensohn stated that we would continue providing support to Ethiopia for its development programs that would enable it to change the livelihood of millions of Ethiopians. Their success would benefit not only Ethiopia’s citizens, but could have significant positive impact on the continent as a whole.