The Ethiopian Ministry of Education has initiated a national framework to consolidate and digitise the country’s indigenous knowledge, with the objective of integrating traditional expertise into education, academic research, and public policy formulation, Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) reported.

Despite Ethiopia’s extensive repository of generational knowledge, much of it has remained fragmented and underutilised, limiting its contribution to national development. The new initiative seeks to address these gaps by standardising methodologies for identifying, recording, and preserving knowledge unique to each region.

As part of the programme, higher education institutions are undergoing specialised training designed to equip staff with the tools and techniques necessary for comprehensive documentation. State Minister of Education Kora Tushne noted that the framework will channel indigenous knowledge into the national education system and policymaking processes, thereby enhancing the country’s capacity to address local challenges with context-specific solutions.

Selam Alemu, head of the Ministry’s Community Engagement and Indigenous Knowledge Desk, indicated that efforts will extend beyond archival purposes, with verified findings slated for inclusion in the national curriculum.

Universities participating in the programme have already commenced systematic collection and digitisation. Researchers such as Mirgisa Kaba of Addis Ababa University emphasised the importance of institutional collaboration to ensure that traditional knowledge informs policy and broader development strategies.