Ethiopia Sees 131 Large Factories Begin Operations This Fiscal Year

Mintesinot Niggusie

More than 130 large scale factories started operations in Ethiopia during the first nine months of the current fiscal year, as government backed financing and industrial support programmes pushed thousands of manufacturers into production, according to Ahadu Radio.

Industry Minister Melaku Alebel said 131 major industries entered production during the period, while the total number of industries beginning operations surpassed 3,300.

The expansion was driven largely by support measures targeting small and medium sized manufacturers, including access to loans, industrial land, workforce support, training and market linkages, the minister said.

Melaku noted that the rising number of active industries marks a shift from earlier years, with manufacturing activity increasingly spreading beyond major urban centres.

The ministry said 754 rural based industries also started supplying products to the market during the nine month period, part of a broader effort to strengthen local production networks across the country.

Officials say the government wants more goods produced locally and distributed through regional markets as Ethiopia pushes to deepen domestic manufacturing capacity and reduce reliance on imports.