Ethiopia and Japan have cultivated a notable economic relationship that spans several decades, characterized by mutual cooperation and growing bilateral ties. Japan, as one of the world’s leading economies, has played a significant role in supporting Ethiopia’s economic development through various investment and aid initiatives.
The partnership between these two nations has not only bolstered Ethiopia’s infrastructure and industrial sectors but has also fostered cultural exchanges and knowledge sharing. With Ethiopia’s abundant natural resources and Japan’s technological expertise, the economic collaboration between the two countries has the potential to fuel sustainable growth and create new opportunities for both nations.
On top of that, Ethiopia and Japan continue to enhance their economic partnership through inaugurating new projects and providing aids. A new state-of-the-art training and research center on Kaizen was recently built and inaugurated in Addis Ababa with by 27.5 million USD (ETB 1.5 billion) grant from the Government of Japan.
Speaking on the inauguration ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Demeke Mekonnen accentuated that the center on Kaizen built in Addis Ababa offers several economic advantages for Ethiopia as well as for Africa. The center serves as a hub for African industrious human resource development, providing training and education on Kaizen methodology.
Through equipping employees of manufacturing companies, civil servants, vocational school teachers, and Kaizen consultants with the knowledge and skills of continuous improvement, productivity, and quality enhancement, the center helps build a highly skilled workforce. This, in turn, boosts the efficiency and competitiveness of Ethiopian industries, leading to increased productivity and economic growth.
He further explained that the establishment of this center is one of the many expressions of friendship and longstanding cordial bilateral relationship between Ethiopia and Japan. “We are glad that Ethiopia is becoming the Kaizen excellence center that serves the whole of Africa,” he said, adding Kaizen is embraced in Ethiopian governance system through programs launched in 2009.
“We have been observing encouraging success stories in enterprises, which are utilizing Kaizen tools. It is time to scaling up the experience to realize our development agenda,” he added.
Kaizen’s focus on continuous improvement aligns with the “Let Ethiopia Produce” national movement. The training center enables Kaizen consultants to provide lectures and hands-on training to private sector employees, supporting the growth and development of manufacturing sites. By implementing Kaizen principles, manufacturing companies can optimize their operations, improve product quality, and increase production efficiency. These enhancements contribute to the growth of the manufacturing sector, attract investment, and promote economic diversification.
Japanese Ambassador to Ethiopia, ITO Takako, on her part said that the center will serve as a hub for African industrial human resource development, and it is expected to spread from Ethiopia throughout Africa.
The Nairobi Declaration of TICAD 6 in 2018 pledged to increase the productivity in Africa by 30% through the expansion of the Kaizen Initiative throughout Africa as human infrastructure development is one of the priority areas of cooperation between Japan and Africa.
It is to be recalled that on September 30, 2019, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the construction of the TICAD Human Resource Development Center for Business and Industry (TICAD-HRD) the fund covered through Grant Aid from the Government of Japan.
The center’s establishment in Addis Ababa also positions Ethiopia as a regional leader in Kaizen excellence. With the aim of expanding Kaizen principles throughout Africa, the center becomes a focal point for collaboration among African countries. This regional impact fosters cooperation, knowledge sharing, and the exchange of best practices, leading to the overall advancement of industrial development and economic growth across the continent.
Minister of Industry, Melaku Alebel, said the Kaizen excellence center represents a significant step forward in the journey towards continuous improvement and growth. “It is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our government, in collaboration with the people and government of Japan to invest in the future of our workforce and industries.”
Kaizen has had a great impact on Ethiopia’s manufacturing industry. “We are aware that our industries have been benefiting from the Kaizen disseminations. The improvement of quality has been improved from 5-46%, productivity from 15-39% and generally speaking from improvement activities, production waste reduction and elimination efforts above five billion birr in monetary value have been registered.”
The Government of Ethiopia has adopted policies to use Kaizen to further develop the manufacturing and services sectors, as well as hospitals and schools.
The training center aligns with Ethiopia’s policies and goals for economic development. By adopting Kaizen as a governance system and incorporating it into various sectors, such as manufacturing, services, hospitals, and schools. The Ethiopian government aims to improve productivity, quality, and efficiency. The center plays a significant role in supporting these objectives through providing the necessary training and resources to implement Kaizen effectively.
During the inauguration ceremony, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Senior Vice President Sachiko Imoto said the center will allow Kaizen consultants to provide lectures and hands-on Kaizen training to private sector employees.
She noted Kaizen could be a solution for improving productivity at manufacturing sites planned under the ‘Let Ethiopia Produce’ national movement. Imoto added that the Kaizen Project is one of JICA’s flagship projects in Ethiopia. The center is expected to train thousands of individuals annually and will play a major role in helping the Ministry of Industry achieve its goals.
Indeed, the state-of-the-art training and research center on Kaizen in Addis Ababa brings economic advantages by fostering industrious human resource development; strengthening the manufacturing sector; facilitating knowledge sharing and cultural exchange; promoting regional collaboration; and supporting the Ethiopian government’s development goals. These benefits contribute to the increased economic competitiveness, sustainable growth, and the realization of Ethiopia’s developmental agenda.
It is also to be recalled that the JICA has been working with Addis Ababa City Administration. On top of that, JICA has handed over 79 heavy machineries for road maintenance to the Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA) last month.
During the ceremony, Mayor of Addis Ababa City Administration, Adanech Abiebie stated that the Ethio-Japan relationship has been strong for the last nine decades and Japan has been supporting Ethiopia in different areas. Acknowledging the deep respect that Ethiopians have for the support so far, she further mentioned that discussions with the Japanese Ambassador are on-going for further cooperation.
The Japanese Ambassador mentioned the importance of roads in vitalizing the economy. And adding she said that Japan has been providing road construction equipment for Ethiopia in addition to support in other areas.
This Grant Aid, worth approximately 10 million USD (ETB550 million), is to support road construction in Addis Ababa and to strengthen the city’s road maintenance capacity. JICA has been working with AACRA to develop the capacity of its engineers through a technical cooperation project and providing training opportunities in Japan in addition to providing a JICA advisor to the AACRA office.
The Government of Japan has been actively supporting the development of Ethiopia and contributing to the improvement of people’s lives through various schemes, particularly in the fields of agriculture, infrastructure, industry, education and health. Japan will continue to support Ethiopia’s development efforts through various Japanese Assistance Projects as well as through other modalities of assistance.
All things considered, Ethiopia and Japan have built a robust economic relationship, marked by mutual cooperation and growing bilateral ties. Japan’s support in investment and aid initiatives has played a vital role in Ethiopia’s economic development, bolstering infrastructure, and fostering cultural exchanges. With abundant natural resources and Japan’s technological expertise, the collaboration between the two countries holds the potential for sustainable growth and new opportunities.
The economic collaboration between the two countries goes beyond traditional investment and trade. It also encompasses cultural exchanges and knowledge sharing.
Furthermore, the economic collaboration between Ethiopia and Japan aligns with the developmental goals of both countries. This partnership is also characterized by mutual benefit, where both countries stand to gain from the collaboration. It holds the potential to fuel sustainable economic growth, create employment opportunities, and contribute to the overall development and prosperity of both nations.
BY HIZKEL HAILU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER 2023
