BY EPHREM ANDARGACHEW
Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, is found on a well-watered plateau surrounded by hills and mountains. The city is the center of everything where historical education centers, various Museums, Palaces, notable obelisks, monuments, and so on are found.
The city is the home of international organizations such as the African Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and over a hundred Embassies and Consular offices. It is also the economic nucleus of the country where the city residents involve manufacture textiles, shoes, food, beverages, wood products, plastics, and chemical products. Most of Ethiopia’s service industries including Banking and insurance are located in Addis Ababa. The nation’s major newspapers are also published in the metropolis.
Despite its relevance and significance, Addis Ababa has faced numerous economic, social, and infrastructure challenges. The infrastructure investment of the Federal and city administration over two decades has assisted to decrease poverty, inequality, and unemployment. Nevertheless, a significant number of the city residents have serious housing, basic services, and sanitation facilities problems.
These and other related factors have motivated the incumbent government that assumed powers in mid-2018 to take various measures to redecorate the city. The federal government and the city administration have prepared and implemented projects to beautify the city and clean its rivers, public spaces and parks, bicycle paths, and walkways. Especially, rivers and riverside projects are slowly making the city green. Addis Ababa, as one of Africa’s developing tourist destinations, is starting to align its accommodation option with the rest of Africa. Because the city has comfortable and clean accommodations.
According to Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, the projects that are implemented in Addis Ababa are expected to beautify the city as the name indicates “new flower.” The project is running along two of the largest rivers of the city, stretching a total of 51 kilometers, all the way from the mountains of Entoto through the city to the Akaki River.
Meskel Square is another significant project which upgraded the city’s profile and it is also taken as a must-see landmark in Addis Ababa. The square is the place where locals celebrate Meskel known as the founding of the true Cross of Jesus Christ celebrated every year on September 27th. It is also a prominent venue for mass sports, and peaceful demonstrations. It serves as a good point of reference for local transportation and for getting into the center of the city.
It is also a place for public gatherings, demonstrations, and festivals. Concerts, parades, and various government and public events are also held there. In addition, people have been using the square to watch either local or international sports and tournaments. Most often, English Premier League is popular and people watch in the evenings.
Although Meskel Square provides several services, it is the only one of its kind. The people have been forced to come a long way to participate in any events that are prepared in Meskel square. So, these and other related factors force the city administration to plan and build another square.
Addis Ababa City Administration Mayor Adanech Abiebie stated that Meskel Square is the only and the most iconic public gathering space that has been hosting several cultural, religious, political, entertainment, and sports activities for more than 60 years.
Nonetheless, following the country’s political reform, the government has designed various projects that will be implemented across the country. The city administration also allocated over 2.6 Billion Birr to beautify Addis Ababa. Especially, the Meskel Square-Addis Ababa City Hall Project that renovated the square contains iconic things. Because the building of the square is not only focused on time but also better technologies, innovation, quality, and trans-generational issues.
Since the city necessitated other squares for various purposes and activities, the city administration launched the construction of the second square namely Lemi Square in Lemi Kura Sub-city. This is the second grand project next to Meskel Square with a budget of 1.3 billion birr.
According to Mayor Adanech, “when we look at projects in other countries, we used to wish for our country, but we don’t get results by wishing only, we need to work. The project will provide a place like Meskel Square not only to those in the center but also to the people who live in the peripheral areas of the city.
Indeed, during the inauguration of Meskle Square, Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed said that Addis Ababa needs more centers like Meskel Square. Taking this message into account, the city administration laid the foundation stone of the ‘2nd Meskle Square’ project to fulfill the Premiers remarks, she added.
As stated by Mayor Adanech, to broaden alternative squares, Lemi Kura Sub-city is chosen for Lemi Square since the New Africa International Convention Center is being built there and the area needs more services and related facilities.
“We cannot change our city with old or outdated thinking. We can change our city by having new and timely thoughts and ideas. Hence, the participation of the private sector is key in filling the gap of the government to complete this project in a short period,” she stated.
The Lemi Square project will be built on 14 thousand 400 square meters and has public space, parking lots, recreation areas, gyms, a conference hall, a sports venue, a park for weddings and other services, supermarkets, offices, bookstores, and so on.
During the construction period, this project will create 1100 temporary and 400 permanent job opportunities for citizens. However, the work is supposed to take 18 months but the city administration is ready to complete it in 10 months by working day and night without rest, Mayor Adanech said.
In fact, currently, beautifying Addis Ababa has been given greater emphasis. Various projects are under implementation and construction is continuing. Especially, apart from beautifying Addis Ababa, urban development such as parks, urban agriculture, street greenery, housing, and garden as well as the provision of social, and health services are visible reforms that are carried out in the city. As part of this endeavor, the government has seriously taken the task of constructing the second Meskel Square called the Lemi Square which broadens the options for people living in peripheral areas of the city.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 22 JANUARY 2023
