Science and technology in Ethiopia

Like many developing countries, Ethiopia has a deficiency of resources to allocate to science and technology facilities. This is primarily due to lack of government initiatives on policy, and characterized the situation more futile underdevelopment, i.e. unnecessary duplication of efforts, program redundancy, uneconomical/wasteful use of limited resources are basic factors to reduce the development.[2]

The Transitional Government of 1991-95 issued the National Science and Technology Policy of 1993 in order to build the country's Science & Technology, to coordinate related activities and to enhance their contribution to national economic development.[2]

The introduction of Information Technology is closely related to the introduction of computers into Ethiopia by foreign suppliers.

Information technology has been sponsored by the government since 1975 with the establishment of the Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission (ESTC) in Proclamation No. 62/1975.

IBM helped to introduced technology to Ethiopia in 1962 with the 1421/814 accounting machine .[3] In 1963, IBM introduced a semi-mechanical accounting machine at the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), followed by the auto code 1440 model, commissioned by the Ethiopian Electric Light and Power Authority. The IBM 360/20 electronic data-processing system was introduced between 1965 and 1970, with a capacity of 8-16 KB. The transition from card to tape-disk system was made in 1970s. The first programming language was Report Program Generator, which was used in Ethiopia until 1986.

As suppliers increased competition, major technological changes attracted attention.[3]

The NCR Corporation introduced cash register, mechanical accounting machines and major apparatuses such as payroll technology. The first NCR model minicomputer was installed in 1976, with 64 KB of main memory and 9.6 MB of hard disk. The corporation also installed 850 minicomputers between 1977 and 1984.[3] In 1988, 280 computers, mostly personal computers, were imported to Ethiopia.[3]

The Electronics industry was underdeveloped, some efforts such as radio receiver sets assembly was initiated. Sophisticated systems such as radio communication, telecommunication, and communication and navigational tools were operational in use. In 1983, a report suggested that 63% of electronic consumers imports were for telecommunication and broadcasting equipment.

Ethiopia was ranked 126th in the Global Innovation Index in 2021.[1]

Robotics in Ethiopia is emerging with high tech companies contributed for various artificial intelligence (AI) works. The growing tech ecosystem has earned the nickname ‘Sheba Valley’. It is thought to erase manufacturing jobs.

Computer programmer Betelhem Dessie founded iCog, a high tech AI company responsible for its contribution developing Sophia robot in 2016, becoming the youngest entrepreneur in the country.[4] The robot made a landmark visit Ethiopia in July 2018, attracting many dignitaries at the Information & Communication Technology International Expo, in Addis Ababa.[5] She also met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on 2 July.[6]

In order to provide national and international telecommunication services, the Ethiopian Telecommunication Authority (ETA) was established in January 1953 led by General Manager, who is chief executive under the direction of board of directors whose chairman is the Minister of Transport and Communication by virtue. It is state-owned and has administrative and financial autonomy.[3]

The service provided telephony, telegraphy and telex while broadcasting held by ETA until its transfer to the Ministry of Information and Guidance in 1977. ETA contributed to the start of digitalization in 1989.[3]

In 2004, the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute (ESSTI) was established to create an observatory in Entoto Mountains in 2014. It was formally established by the cabinet of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn under regulation No. 916/2015. The institute provides various tasks relating to space science and aerospace technology. In December 2019, Ethiopia launched the first 70 kg multi-spectral remote sensing satellite. [7]According to President Sahle-Work Zewde's speech in October, the satellite "will provide all the necessary data on changes in climate and weather-related phenomena that would be utilized for the country’s key targets in agriculture, forestry as well as natural resources protection initiatives." By January 2020, satellite manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing (MAIT) began and the French company would build a facility with funding from European Investment Bank (EIB). Abdissa Yilma was ESSTI's general director in 2021, and Yeshurun Alemayehu is deputy general director.

Dried Lippia abyssinica or natively (koseret) in sale at Kukulu Market in Chicago

Ethiopia is known for the use of traditional medicine since millennia. According to British Ethiopianist Richard Pankhurst, the first epidemic occurred in 849 in the Axumite era under emperor Abba Yohannes and was said to be "God's punishment for Yohannes for his misdeeds". Yohannes wrote, "great tribulations have come upon our land, and all our men are dying of the plague and all of our beasts and cattle have perished".[8][9]

Western implementation of modern medicine began in the 1890s under Emperor Menelik II with medical envoys consisting mainly of Italian and Russian citizens. These were mainly for the use of foreign missionaries and urban elites at that time. [9]

Provision of modern medicine was expanded by Emperor Haile Selassie in the 1930s and the Ministry of Public Health was established in 1948.

Studies have shown that Ethiopian health facilities are faced with antibiotic overprescribing, short consultation and dispensing times, poor labelling of medicines, poor availability of key drugs, and nonadherence to the essential drug list. The availability of key essential medicines was 64.87% and only 32.35% are labelled adequately.[10]

Despite Western medicine becoming more widespread, many Ethiopians tend to rely more on traditional medicine, especially in rural areas. Ethiopia's use of traditional medicaments is highly intricate and use of implementing herbs, spiritual healing, bone-setting and minor surgical procedures for treating disease varies from ethnic groups.

Traditionally, Ethiopians used to measure weight using draft animals, or porter via sight in assumption rather than accurately defined logics. More recently, they also used steelyard and scale (also known in Ge'ez madalot (መድሎት) or madalew (መዳልው).[11]

Ethiopia has long been known for horology, primarily in calendars. The Ethiopian calendar differs from Gregorian calendar by alternate calculation of Annunciation of Christ by 7 or 8 years. The calendar also adopted Coptic or Alexandrian calendar first calculated by Annianus of Alexandria. Another calendar, such as Borana calendar also developed in 300 BC based on lunar-stellar constellation.[12]

Ethiopia is among the lowest-income countries but has greatly increased funding for the education sector over the past two decades. In 2016-17, education accounted for 27 percent of total government expenditure, which is significantly higher than the government’s commitment to internationally agreed targets of 20 percent of the national budget for education (UNICEF, 2017).[13]

Pre-primary school enrolment has rapidly expanded from less than 300,000 pupils in 2008-09 (4%), to over 3.5 million (45%) in 2019-20. Primary school enrolment rose from 3 million learners in the early 1990s to over 20 million in 2019-20 (Ministry of Education, 2020). However, despite this tremendous progress, learning levels have remained low or declined (Ministry of Education, 2010, 2015; World Bank, 2017). A large share of children complete their primary education lacking basic literacy and numeracy skills (e.g., NEAEA, 2016; Tiruneh, Hoddinott, et al., 2021; USAID, 2019).

Ethiopia has 59 universities to provide higher education to approximately 125 million people.

Science and Technology Information Center headquarter in Addis Ababa

The Science and Technology Information Center provides scientific and technological activity throughout the country, publishing information on financing research and development on process of innovative projects. Its facilities include digital library, patent information system, automated personnel management and databases.[14] In 1977, the center planned to develop National Scientific and Technological Information and Documentation Center (NSTIDC). The institution designated as the highest body in agency for initiating, strengthening and co-ordinating various facilities and services concerning the collection, organization and dissemination of scientific and technological information.[14]

On 4 October 2022, an Ethiopia Museum of Art and Science was opened in Addis Ababa. The science museum sits on 7 hectares of land and contains scientific and technological innovations and exhibitions with various halls, and cafeteria.[15][16][17]