Ethiopia has significant number of citizens reside in Western Europe and North America. Most of these Ethiopians have pursued higher education and they are thus technically advanced. Besides, they have strategic position to forge links with established humanitarian, political, economic and business networks in the West. Thus, they can play a wide and varied role in promoting sustainable development and social advancement in Ethiopia, covering different areas and social networks.
Indeed, they can be an indispensable human agency that channel wealth, information, innovative ideas, intellectual capacities and skills and creative business practices from the West to Africa. In addition, the Ethiopian Diaspora benefit the global transnational networks to which they are linked in many different ways. They benefit by gaining a strategic position which enables them to build up social, economic and political bridges that link to both worlds with valuable advantages.
In recognizing the role of the Ethiopian Diaspora with respect to its country of origin, the Ethiopian government has established the Ethiopian Expatriates Affairs General Directorate and Office of Coordinating Ethiopian Diaspora and Friends of Ethiopia within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Capacity Building respectively. And it has also assigned diplomats in all our embassies for building a warm and constructive relationship between the Ethiopian Diaspora and its country of origin.
Apart from such institutional measures, the government has also taken encouraging legislative measures. Among these, the promulgation of proclamation No.270/2002, which provides Foreign Nationals of Ethiopian origin with rights and privileges to be exercised in their country of origin, directive which allows Ethiopian Diaspora to open foreign currency account in local banks, tax and custom free privileges for returnees and issuance of urban land for the construction of residential buildings are some of the measures to be mentioned. Over the last couple of years, in part due to these measures, the participation of the Ethiopian Diaspora in the socio-economic activities in Ethiopia has been steadily increasing.
Ethiopian Diaspora can play a wide and varied role in promoting sustainable development and social advancement in Ethiopia, covering different areas and social networks. It is evident that significant number of Diaspora investors are engaged in agriculture, forestry, education, real estate development, health, mining, transportation and wholesale and retailing as well as various investment areas.
Ethiopian Diasporas can participate in many areas and fields of development endeavors. Among the most important areas of development, the education sector is a significant area. Diaspora Ethiopians can see the education and training of Ethiopians back home as a unique, attractive and lucrative investment destination. Education and training is a back bone for investment, progress and prosperity; therefore, to look at this sector and provide more focus on this sector is vital to both the Diaspora Ethiopians and their country of origin. If Ethiopia is to become a major agricultural, industrial and manufacturing nation competitive to not only with its neighbors but internationally, tens of thousands and even millions of its citizens need to be better educated, better trained with international standard and more competitive in the international or global market.
In general, Ethiopian Diaspora occupies an indispensable strategic position that links Ethiopia with the rest of the world. With access to opportunists in the West places them in a better position to impact positively on the overall development in Ethiopia. From overseas, they are able to supply and transmit many benefits to Ethiopia. The benefits that Ethiopia now gains from its Diaspora should not restricted to the remittance but it should be broaden into active participation in the national development process. Such as, in human capital, transfer of knowledge, technology, skills and expertise as well as other benefits that can be generated from cooperation between government and the Diaspora in financial, cultural and political areas.
[TheEthiopianHerald]