Global Entrepreneurship Week Launched in Ethiopia

The Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) of Ethiopia, along with the Ministry of Labor and Skills, officially launched Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Ethiopia 2025 on November 17, 2025, with a grand opening ceremony at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa.

GEW Ethiopia 2025 was officially opened by remarks from H.E. Muferihat Kamil, Minister of Labor and Skills. The Minister acknowledged the transformative power of entrepreneurs, noting the amazing progress seen in the country's entrepreneurial journey over the past few years.

Minister Muferihat reinforced the government’s commitment, stating that the ultimate goal is "to use entrepreneurship and innovation as tools to make our country and our Africa a metropolis of resilient, wealthy, and prosperous individuals, families, institutions, and communities." She highlighted the recent policy foundation—including the establishment of EDI, the enactment of the Startup Proclamation, and the development of an Entrepreneurship Policy—as evidence of Ethiopia’s commitment to building a favorable ecosystem and realizing the dream of an Entrepreneurial Government. She vowed, "We will work strongly to make Ethiopia a cradle of entrepreneurs so that it will enable us to utilize our full potential."

The ceremony kicked off with a congratulatory video address from Mr. Jonathan Ortmans of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN). Mr. Ortmans stressed that entrepreneurs are heroes—the world needs more entrepreneurial spirit to offer remedies for the complex challenges we face globally—and wished all participants a "Happy Entrepreneurship Week."

Following the global message, Hassen Hussien, PhD, CEO of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), delivered an address praising entrepreneurs as "nation-builders." Dr. Hassen said, "Entrepreneurs are those who generate new solutions for our problems; who bring innovative solutions down to earth so they don't remain as pie-in-the-sky ideas or vain imaginings. They are visionaries, brave trailblazers, proactive, kind, and generous people of action who continuously sharpen themselves, learn, and improve by using their failures as a grinding stone."

The launch event was charged with excitement as it was announced that Ethiopia, on November 17, has seized the number one spot on the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) global activity ranking by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), surpassing last year's ranking of 2nd in Africa and 8th in the world. This year marks the 12th consecutive celebration of GEW in Ethiopia, bringing together high-level government officials, influential business leaders, and key ecosystem stakeholders from across Africa to drive innovation and collaboration.

EDI is celebrating this year under the guiding theme, "Let's Build Together!," a call to action aimed at strengthening the ecosystem that supports these essential nation-builders.

The official launch provided a critical gathering, featuring a high-level panel discussion titled "Why entrepreneurship ecosystem builders matter for Africa's transformation," followed by an awards ceremony recognizing top contributors to the ecosystem.

Throughout the week, GEW Ethiopia 2025 will feature a packed schedule focusing on high-impact trainings, discussions, innovation idea competitions, studies, and networking events, all designed to cement Ethiopia’s leadership role in promoting entrepreneurship across the continent and the globe.