“No Prosperity Without Villages”: Abiy Launches Rural Transformation Drive

In a sweeping push to close Ethiopia’s urban-rural divide, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) has declared that national prosperity is impossible without lifting up the country’s villages — not just its cities.

“We cannot speak of prosperity when our rural communities are left behind,” Abiy said during a site visit in Central Ethiopia. “Every village must rise.”

The Prime Minister unveiled a rural-focused development campaign anchored in model housing projects—already launched in five zones—which aim to improve living standards using locally sourced materials, clean energy, backyard farming, and water sanitation systems.

Framing the effort as a “blueprint for equitable development,” Abiy called on the Ethiopian diaspora, affluent city residents, and public institutions to support scaling the initiative nationwide.

From Steps to Success

Abiy also spotlighted local success stories, praising Kembata for expanding the Hambaricho Mountain tourist site from 777 steps to 1,500—an achievement that turned a development challenge into a tourism asset.

“I challenged them, and they doubled it,” he said. “

100 Homes, 1 Mission

Capping off his address, the Prime Minister challenged leaders in the Kembata and Halaba zones to each build 100 model homes based on the new design, rallying communities around a shared vision of growth.

This push for rural transformation marks a strategic shift in Ethiopia’s development narrative—one where the village, not the city, becomes the starting point of prosperity.

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“No Prosperity Without Villages”: Abiy Launches Rural Transformation Drive