SMEs Create 270,546 Jobs in FY 2018 as EED Launches National Training

EED | Adama | September 19, 2026

Ethiopian Enterprise Development announced that job opportunities were created for over 270,546 citizens through newly established and strengthened small and medium manufacturing enterprises during the concluded 2018 Ethiopian budget year.

The announcement was made in Adama during the kickoff of a nationwide capacity-building training program organized for 160 leaders and experts in the small and medium manufacturing sector drawn from across the country.

Speaking at the opening session, Mr. Abdulfeta Yesuf, Deputy Director General of EED, highlighted that under the mandate granted to the institution by Council of Ministers Regulation No. 526/2023, EED continues to focus on making small and medium manufacturers competitive. He emphasized that these enterprises play a vital role in driving national economic transformation, advancing import substitution, expanding employment, and boosting export growth.

During the 2018 fiscal year, 4,233 new small and medium manufacturing enterprises were successfully established, resulting in direct job opportunities for 270,546 citizens.

Beyond job creation, the sector delivered significant economic gains through import substitution and foreign exchange generation:

• Import Substitution: Domestic manufacturers produced local alternatives that substituted imported goods valued at 1.9 billion Birr.
• Export Revenue: Sector exports generated $36 million USD in foreign exchange earnings.

The Deputy Director General further stressed the need to streamline and standardize institutional support services—including industrial extension, growth transitions, technology adoption, quality management, and rural industrialization programs—to elevate productivity across the sector.

Concluding his remarks, Mr. Abdulfetah urged all participating trainees to translate their newly acquired knowledge into practical, high-impact support to strengthen local manufacturing enterprises in their respective regions.

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