Today, in our continental capital, we are hosting a productive peer-to-peer learning forum with mayors and regional administrators from various African cities.

According to an in-depth survey conducted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) on the financial management performance of African cities, Addis Ababa was selected to share its experience after achieving outstanding results in five of the six key metrics evaluated.

Among the six African cities surveyed (Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam, Lusaka, Kigali, and Yaoundé), Addis Ababa emerged as the top performer. The findings specifically highlighted that the reforms our city initiated in modernizing revenue and financial resource management are both effective and serve as a blueprint for other African cities.

This success is a testament to the effectiveness of our reform journey, through which we have allocated 71% of the city’s total revenue to development projects to ensure the sustainable benefit of our citizens.

The visiting mayors and participants will personally tour these reform projects today. Addis Ababa will share its extensive experience in building financial and revenue capacity and translating that capacity into tangible, transformative change.

This forum represents a historic opportunity for us to collectively shape the future of African cities.

Finally, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the UNECA for conducting this study and recognizing our city, as well as to the residents of Addis Ababa and my colleagues, who are the true owners of this achievement.

Addis Ababa will continue to be a symbol of African prosperity!

May God bless Ethiopia and its people!