Addis Ababa: Pren-Tsilya Boa-Guehe, Head of Pan-African Institutions at Google, has praised Ethiopia’s efforts to establish a robust innovation ecosystem designed to empower young citizens. In an exclusive interview with ENA, Boa-Guehe highlighted Ethiopia’s commitment to fostering innovation as a key driver for sustainable development and expressed Google’s enthusiasm for collaborating with the country to support its ambitious vision.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, Google is ready to assist in building a regulatory and governance framework that encourages innovation among Ethiopia’s youth. She emphasized the need for strong education systems, effective policies, and AI regulations to ensure that young innovators can thrive. She also underscored the importance of diversifying the talent pool, particularly within the context of Ethiopia’s 120 million population, to help drive Africa’s innovation agenda.

Boa-Guehe noted the significance of events like the recent robotics competition held in Addis Ababa, which showcased innovative projects focused on agriculture. She expressed Google’s commitment to promoting African representation in global competitions and highlighted the goal of cultivating a pipeline of African talent that can contribute to global innovation efforts. The competition was organized in partnership with the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the World Robotics Olympiad.

In reference to Ethiopia’s "5 Million Coders" initiative launched by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in July 2024, Boa-Guehe described the initiative as commendable and crucial for building the country’s digital ecosystem, noting that successful execution will be key to its impact.