Ethiopia Education Sector Offers Opportunities

Ethiopia’s Education Sector Offers Opportunities for U.S. Organizations

With an overall population of 122 million, enrollments of over 30 million students in primary/secondary education, over one million students in university, and an official language of English, Ethiopia is an attractive market for U.S. organizations working in the education sector. The large student population and a stated focus by the Ethiopian Government on improving the educational system will stimulate demand for related U.S. services and technologies.

Opportunities for U.S. Educational Institutions

U.S. high schools and universities have found success in recruiting Ethiopian students. As a matter of fact, the United States is the number one destination for Ethiopian students studying abroad and the numbers continue to grow. Another opportunity for U.S. educational institutions is through the introduction of distance learning programs – enabling foreign students to access a U.S. education without navigating difficult and costly travel and visa procedures. U.S. institutions can benefit by working with a local partner who can help identify suitable students and guide them through the application process. There are a number of established education agents in Ethiopia and several U.S. schools and universities have benefited from such partnerships. For distance learning providers, partnership opportunities with local universities may facilitate local recognition of degrees offered, thus bolstering further demand within the country.

Opportunities for U.S. EdTech Providers

There are over 360 higher education institutions in Ethiopia and the sector is a stated priority of the Ethiopian federal government, which allocates approximately $1 billion to the sector annually. Recognizing that students were not receiving the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills, the Ministry of Education recently introduced a new strategy focusing on digitalization. The demand for new, technological approaches to teaching and record management creates opportunities for U.S. EdTech service providers. Such providers can participate in competitive international tenders issued by the Ministry of Education posted on the ministry’s official webpage. Solutions include school management and administration, virtual classroom and virtual teacher systems, instructional design studio and development suites, educational broadcasting and control centers, virtual public library and content management suites, and virtual school-in-a-box (SIAB) automated school setup.

For more information on the Ethiopian education market, please contact Commercial Assistant Siraj Mustefa at the U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy, Addis Ababa, Siraj.Mustefa@trade.gov.