ADDIS ABABA — The Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure announced today a $407 million rural roads expansion project set to be implemented over the next five years across Ethiopia. Minister of Urban and Infrastructure Chaltu Sani revealed that $300 million of the project financing will come from the World Bank, while the remaining amount will be covered by regional states.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the project will be executed in 126 districts, including Dire Dawa city administration, with the goal of connecting rural roads to highways. Chaltu highlighted the project’s potential to help rural farmers bring their agricultural products to market and improve accessibility for people in remote areas lacking road infrastructure.
The project is expected to significantly boost the productivity of farmers by connecting them with consumers, thereby enhancing food security. Chaltu also mentioned the government’s ongoing efforts to meet citizens’ infrastructure demands based on necessary research, noting the construction of various rural roads carried out in recent years.