Today in Addis Ababa, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, his deputy Temesgen Tiruneh, and top UAE officials are here to launch a collaborative effort between Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) called "5 Million Ethiopian Coders."

"Today's inauguration of the 5 Million Ethiopian Coders Initiative is a fantastic opportunity. In a statement shared on his social media accounts, PM Abiy stated, "I urge everyone to encourage the youth to sign up for the program, acquire skills, and obtain international certification."

Under the "One Million Arab Coders" program, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoumm, the Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, proposed the joint initiative at the 2017 World Economic Forum. Its goal is to train 5 million Ethiopian youth in basic digital literacy by 2026, with a goal of having at least 50% of the trainees be young women.

According to the stated goals of the joint project, the training programs are anticipated to prepare youngsters from all regions, with a concentration on rural areas, by collaborating with schools, TVET institutions, and other organizations to incorporate training into the curriculum of the schools.

Ethiopian students will "acquire foundational level skills in three areas: Android Kotlin Developer Fundamentals, Data Science Fundamentals, and Programming Fundamentals." Throughout the six to seven week course, mentors will assist students in answering technical concerns on a dedicated community platform. Students who successfully complete the course will get skill-based certificates.

Additionally, PM Abiy said that the 5 million Ethiopian programmers would "become a beacon of hope for our continent in addition to creating innovative local solutions."