Ethiopia’s Economic Growth Attracts Young Diaspora

By Marthe Van Der Wolf

ADDIS ABABA — Young members of the Ethiopian diaspora are returning in large numbers to their country of birth.  The Ethiopian government welcomes the impact these returnees could have on the economy.

There are about 3 million Ethiopians living abroad – mostly in North America and Europe.  But in recent years, thousands of young professionals have come back to Ethiopia to look for business opportunities.

The government is well aware of the trend.  The director of the Diaspora Office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Feisel Aliyi Abrahim, says that investment by the returnees is very important.

“They are our development partners, we need them and also they need us because of they do business here they also benefit, the return is very high.  And we need them because they bring us knowledge, they bring us technology, they bring us foreign direct investment, they create jobs, so this overall has very significant role in reducing poverty,” he said. Read more