Addis Ababa or Addis Abeba (the spelling used by the official Ethiopian Mapping Authority),

(Amharic: ? Addis Abba IPA: [addis abba] ( listen), "new flower"; Oromo: Finfinne,
[3][4]
[fnfn.n
] "Natural Spring(s)"), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. Finfinne is its
Oromo name. It has a population of 3,384,569 according to the 2007 population census, with
annual growth rate of 3.8%. This number has been increased from the originally published
2,738,248 figure and appears to be still largely underestimated.[2][5]

As a chartered city (ras gez astedader), Addis Ababa has the status of both a city and a state. It is
where the African Union is and its predecessor the OAU was based. It also hosts the
headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and numerous other
continental and international organizations. Addis Ababa is therefore often referred to as "the
political capital of Africa" due to its historical, diplomatic and political significance for the
continent.[6]

The city is populated by people from different regions of Ethiopia. It is home to Addis Ababa
University. The Federation of African Societies of Chemistry (FASC) and Horn of Africa Press
Institute (HAPI) are also headquartered in Addis Ababa.

Main articles: History of Addis Ababa and Timeline of Addis Ababa

Entoto is one of a handful of sites put forward as a possible location for a medieval imperial
capital known as Barara. This permanent fortified city was established during the early to mid
15th century, and it served as the main residence of several successive emperors up to the early
16th century reign of Lebna Dingel.[7] The city was depicted standing between Mounts Zikwala
and Menegasha on a map drawn by the Italian cartographer Fra Mauro in around 1450, and it
was razed and plundered by Ahmed Gragn while the imperial army was trapped on the south of
the Awash River in 1529, an event witnessed and documented two years later by the Yemeni
writer Arab-Faqih. The suggestion that Barara was located on Mount Entoto is supported by the
very recent discovery of a large medieval town overlooking Addis Ababa located between rock-
hewn Washa Mikael and the more modern church of Entoto Maryam, founded in the late 19th
century by Emperor Menelik. Dubbed the Pentagon, the 30 hecatre site incorporates a castle with
12 towers, along with 520 metres of stone walls measuring up to 5-meter high.[8]

The site of Addis Ababa was chosen by Empress Taytu Betul and the city was founded in 1886
by Emperor Menelik II. Menelik, as initially a King of the Shewa province, had found Mount
Entoto a useful base for military operations in the south of his realm, and in 1879 he visited the
reputed ruins of a medieval town, and an unfinished rock church that showed proof of the ancient
Christian empire's presence in the area before the campaigns of Ahmad ibn Ibrihim. His interest
in the area grew when his wife Taytu began work on a church on Mount Entoto, and Menelik
endowed a second church in the area.

However, the immediate area did not encourage the founding of a town due to the lack of
firewood and water, so settlement actually began in the valley south of the mountain in 1886.
Initially, Taytu built a house for herself near the "Filwoha" hot mineral springs, where she and
members of the Showan Royal Court liked to take mineral baths. Other nobility and their staff
and households settled in the vicinity, and Menelik expanded his wife's house to become the
Imperial Palace which remains the seat of government in Addis Ababa today. The name changed
to Addis Ababa and became Ethiopia's capital when Menelik II became Emperor of Ethiopia.
The town grew by leaps and bounds. One of Emperor Menelik's contributions that is still visible
today is the planting of numerous eucalyptus trees along the city streets.[9]

Following all the major engagements of their invasion, Italian troops from the colony of Eritrea
entered Addis Ababa on 5 May 1936. Along with Dire Dawa, the city had been spared the aerial
bombardment (including the use of chemical weapons such as mustard gas) practiced elsewhere
and its railway to Djibouti remained intact. Under its Italian spelling Addis Abeba, the city
served as the Duke of Aosta's capital for the unified colony of Italian East Africa until 1941,
when it was abandoned in favor of Amba Alagi and other redoubts during the Second World
War's East African Campaign. The city was liberated by Major Orde Wingate's Sudanese and
Ethiopian Gideon Force in time to permit Emperor Haile Selassie's return on 5 May 1941, five
years to the day after he had left.

Following reconstruction, Haile Selassie helped form the Organisation of African Unity in 1963
and invited the new organization to keep its headquarters in the city. The OAU was dissolved in
2002 and replaced by the African Union (AU), also headquartered in Addis Ababa. The United
Nations Economic Commission for Africa also has its headquarters in Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa
was also the site of the Council of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in 1965.

Ethiopia has often been called the original home of mankind due to various humanoid fossil
discoveries like the Australopithecine Lucy.[10] North eastern Africa, and the Afar region in
particular was the central focus of these claims until recent DNA evidence suggested origins in
south central Ethiopian regions like present-day Addis Ababa.[11][12] After analysing the DNA of
almost 1,000 people around the world, geneticists and other scientists claimed people spread
from what is now Addis Ababa 100,000 years ago.[13][14] The research indicated that genetic
diversity increases steadily the farther one's ancestors traveled from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.[15]

Climate

Addis Ababa
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D

17 36 68 89 76 124 259 278 174 41 8.3 10

23 24 25 25 25 23 21 20 22 23 23 22
9 9 11 12 13 12 12 12 12 10 8 8

Average max. and min. temperatures in C

Precipitation totals in mm
Source: NMAE[30]
 [show]Imperial conversion

Addis Ababa has a subtropical highland climate (Kppen: Cwb).[31] The city has a complex mix
of highland climate zones, with temperature differences of up to 10 C (18 F), depending on
elevation and prevailing wind patterns. The high elevation moderates temperatures year-round,
and the city's position near the equator means that temperatures are very constant from month to
month.

Mid-November to January is a season for occasional rain. The highland climate regions are
characterized by dry winters, and this is the dry season in Addis Ababa. During this season the
daily maximum temperatures are usually not more that 23 C (73 F), and the night-time
minimum temperatures can drop to freezing. The short rainy season is from February to May.
During this period, the difference between the daytime maximum temperatures and the night-
time minimum temperatures is not as great as during other times of the year, with minimum
temperatures in the range of 1015 C (5059 F). At this time of the year the city experiences
warm temperatures and a pleasant rainfall. The long wet season is from June to mid-September;
it is the major winter season of the country. This period coincides with summer, but the
temperatures are much lower than at other times of year due to the frequent rain and hail and the
abundance of cloud cover and fewer hours of sunshine. This time of the year is characterized by
dark, chilly and wet days and nights. The autumn which follows is a transitional period between
the wet and dry seasons.

The highest record temperature was 32 C (90 F) 27 August 1996, while the lowest record
temperature was 0 C (32 F) on 23 November 1999.[32]

Demographics
Based on the 2007 census conducted by the Ethiopian national statistics authorities the
population of Addis Ababa is 3,384,569 million; all of the population are urban inhabitants. For
the capital city 662,728 households were counted living in 628,984 housing units, which results
in an average of 5.3 persons to a household. Although all Ethiopian ethnic groups are represented
in Addis Ababa due to its position as capital of the country, the largest groups include the
Amhara (56.04%), Oromo (34.51%), Gurage (16.34%), Tigray (5.18%), Silt'e (2.94%), and
Gamo (1.68%). Languages spoken include Amharic (71.0%), Oromiffa (10.7%), Gurage
(8.37%), Tigrinya (3.60%), Silt'e (1.82%) and Gamo (1.03%). The religion with the most
believers in Addis Ababa is Ethiopian Orthodox with 74.7% of the population, while 16.2% are
Muslim, 7.77% Protestant, and 0.48% Catholic.[35]

In the previous census, conducted in 1994, the city's population was reported to be 2,112,737, of
whom 1,023,452 were men and 1,089,285 were women. At that time not all of the population
were urban inhabitants; only 2,084,588 or 98.7% were. For the entire administrative council
there were 404,783 households in 376,568 housing units with an average of 5.2 persons per
household. The major ethnic groups included the Amhara (48.3%), Oromo (19.2%), Gurage
(13.5%; 2.3% Sebat Bet, and 0.8% Sodo), Tigray 7.64%, Silt'e 3.98%, and foreigners from
Eritrea 1.33%. Languages spoken included Amharic (72.6%), Oromiffa (10.0%), Gurage
(6.54%), Tigrinya (5.41%), and Silt'e 2.29%. In 1994 the predominant religion was also
Ethiopian Orthodox with 82.0% of the population, while 12.7% were Muslim, 3.87% Protestant,
and 0.78% Catholic.[36]

According to the 2007 national census, 98.64% of the housing units of Addis Ababa had access
to safe drinking water, while 14.9% had flush toilets, 70.7% pit toilets (both ventilated and
unventilated), and 14.3% had no toilet facilities.[37] In 2014, there were 63 public toilets in the
city, with plans to build more.[38] Values for other reported common indicators of the standard of
living for Addis Ababa as of 2005 include the following: 0.1% of the inhabitants fall into the
lowest wealth quintile; adult literacy for men is 93.6% and for women 79.95%, the highest in the
nation for both sexes; and the civic infant mortality rate is 45 infant deaths per 1,000 live births,
which is less than the nationwide average of 77; at least half of these deaths occurred in the
infants' first month of life.[39]

The City is partially powered by water at the Koka Reservoir.

Economy

The bustling centre of Addis Ababa.

Dembel City Center.

The economic activities in Addis Ababa are diverse. According to official statistics from the
federal government, some 119,197 people in the city are engaged in trade and commerce;
113,977 in manufacturing and industry; 80,391 homemakers of different variety; 71,186 in civil
administration; 50,538 in transport and communication; 42,514 in education, health and social
services; 32,685 in hotel and catering services; and 16,602 in agriculture. In addition to the
residents of rural parts of Addis Ababa, the city dwellers also participate in animal husbandry and
cultivation of gardens. 677 hectares (1,670 acres) of land is irrigated annually, on which 129,880
quintals of vegetables are cultivated.[citation needed] It is a relatively clean and safe city, with the most
common crimes being pickpocketing, scams and minor burglary.[40] The city has recently been in
a construction boom with tall buildings rising in many places. Various luxury services have also
become available and the construction of shopping malls has recently increased. According to
Tia Goldenberg of IOL, area spa professionals said that some people have labelled the city, "the
spa capital of Africa."[41]

Ethiopian Airlines has its headquarters on the grounds of Bole International Airport in Addis
Ababa.[42]

Ethiopia's passion for football has attracted another source of income. Arsenal F.C and the
country's Dashen Brewery have signed a three-year-deal as of 2015 making the brewery
Arsenal's beer sponsor in the country. The English club recognize their huge fan base in the
country and see the deal with Dashen as a way to get closer to them and as a chance to establish
some football development programmes in the country. No numbers have been released of yet.
The deal was announced on 25 September 2015.[43]

Government
Pursuant to the Ethiopian Constitution of 1995, the city of Addis Ababa is one of the two federal
cities that are accountable to the Federal Government of Ethiopia. The other city with the same
status is Dire Dawa in the east of the country and both federal cities are located within the State
of Oromia. Earlier, following the establishment of the federal structure in 1991 under the
Transitional Charter of Ethiopia, the City Government of Addis Ababa was one of the then new
14 regional governments. However, that structure was changed by the federal constitution in
1995 and as a result Addis Ababa does not have statehood status.

The administration of Addis Ababa city consists of the Mayor, who leads the executive branch,
and the City Council, which enacts city regulations. However, as part of the Federal
Government, the federal legislature enacts laws that are binding in Addis Ababa. Members of the
City Council are directly elected by the residents of the city and the Council, in turn, elects the
Mayor among its members. Term of office for elected officials is five years. However, the
Federal Government, when it deems necessary, can dissolve the City Council and the entire
administration and replace it by a temporary administration until elections take place next.
Residents of Addis Ababa are represented in the federal legislature, the House of Peoples'
Representatives. However, the city is not represented in the House of Federation, which is the
federal upper house constituted by the representatives of the member states. The executive
branch under the Mayor comprises the City Manager and various branches of civil service
offices.

The current Mayor of Addis Ababa is Mr. Diriba Kuma from the Oromo People Democratic
Organisation (OPDO), which is member of the ruling coalition Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary
Democratic Front (EPRDF). Mr. Diriba Kuma took office on 9 July 2013. His predecessor, Mr.
Kuma Demeksa (also from the OPDO party), served a five-year term from 30 October 2008.
Before that, the Federal Government appointed Mr. Berhane Deressa to lead the temporary
caretaker administration that served from 9 May 2006 to 30 October 2008 following the 2005
election crisis. In the 2005 national election, the ruling EPRDF party suffered a major defeat in
Addis Ababa. However, the opposition who won in Addis Ababa did not take part in the
government both on regional and federal level. This situation forced the EPRDF-led Federal
Government to assign a temporary administration until a new election was carried out. As a
result, Mr. Berhane Deressa, an independent citizen, was appointed.

Some of the notable past mayors of Addis Ababa are Arkabe Oqubay (200306), Zewde Teklu
(198589), Alemu Abebe (197785) and Zewde Gebrehiwot (196069).

Landmarks
High rise, architecture and skyline

A financial district is currently under construction in Addis Ababa, that will include many high-
rise buildings.[44]

Mayor Kuma Demeksa embarked on a quest to improve investment for the buildings in the city.
Addis Ababa is the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the
African Union. The fossilized skeleton, and a plaster replica of the early hominid Lucy (known
in Ethiopia as Dinkinesh) is preserved at the Ethiopian National Museum in Addis Ababa.
Meskel Square is one of the noted squares in the city and is the site for the annual Meskel at the
end of September annually when thousands gather in celebration.

The city is home to the Ethiopian National Library, the Ethiopian Ethnological Museum (and
former Guenete Leul Palace), the Addis Ababa Museum, the Ethiopian Natural History Museum,
the Ethiopian Railway Museum and National Postal Museum.

Notable taller architecture in Addis Ababa includes the Huda Tower, Nani Tower, Bank Misr
Building, as well as the approved Angola World Trade Center Tower, Abyssinia Bank Tower,
Mexico Square Tower and the 200 million dollar AU Conference Center and Office Complex.
Culture

Notable buildings include St George's Cathedral (founded in 1896 and also home to a museum),
Holy Trinity Cathedral (once the largest Ethiopian Orthodox Cathedral and the location of Sylvia
Pankhurst's tomb) as well as the burial place of Emperor Haile Selassie and the Imperial family,
and those who fought the Italians during the World War II. There is also Menelik's old Imperial
palace which remains the official seat of government, and the National Palace formerly known as
the Jubilee Palace (built to mark Emperor Haile Selassie's Silver Jubilee in 1955) which is the
residence of the President of Ethiopia. Jubilee Palace was also modeled after Buckingham Palace
in the United Kingdom. Africa Hall is located across Menelik II avenue from this Palace and is
where the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa is headquartered as well as most UN
offices in Ethiopia. It is also the site of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU)
which eventually became the African Union. The African Union is now housed in a new
headquarters built on the site of the demolished Akaki Prison, on land donated by Ethiopia for
this purpose in the south western part of the city. The Hager Fikir Theatre, the oldest theatre in
Ethiopia, is located at the Piazza district. Near Holy Trinity Cathedral is the art deco Parliament
building, built during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie, with its clock tower. It continues to
serve as the seat of Parliament today. Across from the Parliament is the Shengo Hall, built by the
Derg regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam as its new parliament hall. The Shengo Hall was the
world's largest pre-fabricated building, which was constructed in Finland before being assembled
in Addis Ababa. It is used for large meetings and conventions. Itegue Taitu Hotel, built in 1898
(Ethiopian Calendar) in the middle of the city (Piazza), was the first hotel in Ethiopia.

In the Merkato district, which happens to be the largest open market in Africa, is the impressive
Grand Anwar Mosque, the biggest mosque in Ethiopia built during the Italian occupation. A few
metres to the southwest of the Anwar Mosque is the Raguel Church built after the liberation by
Empress Menen. The proximity of the mosque and the church has symbolised the long peaceful
relations between Christianity and Islam in Ethiopia. The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Holy
Family is also in the Merkato district. Near Bole International Airport is the new Medhane Alem
(Savior of the World) Orthodox Cathedral, which is the second largest in Africa.

Other features of the city include the large Mercato market, the Jan Meda racecourse, Bihere
Tsige Recreation Centre and a railway line to Djibouti. Sport facilities include Addis Ababa and
Nyala Stadiums. The 2008 African Championships in Athletics were held in Addis Ababa. The
Entoto Mountains start among the northern suburbs. Suburbs of the city include Shiro Meda and
Entoto in the north, Urael and Bole (home to Bole International Airport) in the east, Nifas Silk in
the south-east, Mekanisa in the south, and Keraniyo and Kolfe in the west. Kolfe was mentioned
in Nelson Mandela's Autobiography "A Long Walk to Freedom", as the place he got military
training.

Parks include Africa Park, situated along Menelik II Avenue.

Development

The city hosts the We Are the Future centre, a child care centre that provides children with a
higher standard of living. The centre is managed under the direction of the mayor's office, and
the international NGO Glocal Forum serves as the fundraiser and programme planner and
coordinator for the WAF child centre in each city. Each WAF city is linked to several peer cities
and public and private partners to create a unique international coalition.

Launched in 2004, the programme is the result of a strategic partnership between the Glocal
Forum, the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation and Mr. Hani Masri, with the support of the
World Bank, UN agencies and major companies.

Education

Addis Ababa University.

Addis Ababa University was founded in 1950 and was originally named "University College of
Addis Ababa", then renamed in 1962 for the former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I who had
donated his Genete Leul Palace to be the university's main campus in the previous year. It
received its current name in 1975 after the Emperor was deposed. Although the university has six
of its seven campuses within Addis Ababa (the seventh is located in Debre Zeit, about 45 km
(28 mi) away), it also maintains branches in many cities throughout Ethiopia. It is the home of
the Institute of Ethiopian Studies and the Ethnological Museum. The city also has numerous
public universities and private colleges including Ethiopian Civil Service University, Admas
University College, St. Mary's University and Unity University. A massive new university solely
dedicated to science and technology is under construction in the east of the city.

Transport

The distinctive Addis Ababa blue taxis.

Bole international airport

Public transport is through public buses from Anbessa City Bus Service Enterprise or blue and
white share taxis. The taxis are usually minibuses that can seat at most twelve people. Two
people are responsible for each taxi, the driver and a weyala who collects fares and calls out the
taxi's destination.

Road

The construction of the Addis Ababa Ring Road was initiated in 1998 to implement the city
master plan and enhance peripheral development. The Ring Road was divided into three major
phases that connect all the five main gates in and out of Addis Ababa with all other regions
(Jimma, Debre Zeit, Mekelle, Gojjam and Ambo). For this project, China Road and Bridge
Corporation (CRBC) was the partner of Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA).[45] The
Ring Road has greatly helped to decongest and alleviate city traffic. ] Intercity bus service is
provided by the Selam Bus Line Share Company.

Air

The city is served by Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, where a new terminal opened in
2003. The old Lideta Airport in the western "Old Airport" district is used mostly by small craft
and military planes and helicopters.[dubious discuss]

Railway

Addis Ababa also has had a railway connection with Djibouti City, with a picturesque French
style railway station, but the railway no longer operates, there are plans for the construction of a
new modern rail line in the near future. The new Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway will start
operation in September 2016.

Light rail

Main article: Addis Ababa Light Rail

Addis Ababa's opened its light rail system to the public on 20 September 2015. The system is the
first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Ethiopian Railway Corporation reached a funding agreement worth millions of dollars with
the Export and Import Bank of China in September 2010 and the light rail project was completed
in January 2015. The route is a 34.25 km network with two lines; the operational line running
from the center to the south of the city. Upon completion, the east-west line will run from Ayat to
the Torhailoch ringroad, and from Menelik Square to Merkato Bus Station, Meskel Square and
Akaki.[46]

Construction of new 20/80 and 10/90 condominiums

awaiting approval
Written on January 11, 2016.

The Addis Ababa Housing Project Office (AAHPO) is still waiting for the city councils approval
to start construction of new 20/80 and 10/90 condominiums. The office had initially planned to
construct 335,000 houses in the five years of GTP II. However, no new construction has been
undertaken in the past four months of and the new GDP period, considered ideal for
construction.

Currently, there are over 130,000 houses already in progress across several coroners of the city.
Yet several houses are lagging behind schedule, often blamed on power interruption, poor
capacity of some contractors and mismanagement in supervision and procurement procedures.
Kassa Woldesenbet, Communications Head of AAHPO, told Capital that the council is expected
to ratify the construction plan soon. Registered clients have criticized the office for sluggish
construction, while hundreds of thousands eagerly await the quick completion of the condos.
An eager local of Adiss Gebya who has saved 8,000 birr for a condominium house remembers a
government announcement that over 12 billion birr has been saved in the Commercial Bank by
depositors. He recalled that no more than 35,000 houses were delivered through the 20/80 and
10/90 schemes last year and bitterly remarked, The longer the delay, the more we wait and
suffer to get a house.

Kassa accepts that delivery of the houses is delayed, but said his office is working to its full
potential to speed up the construction.
Construction sites are always busy, laborers are always at work. But every project is surrounded
by several problems that force us to put in extra effort. However, we are making progress in
doing our home work.Thus far, the Addis Ababa City Administration has delivered 105,000
houses to customers in the last 10 years. Annually, the administration allocates over 6.3 billion
birr for the construction of 10/90 and 20/80 condominiums. More than 860,000 of Addis Ababas
citizens have registered in the 10/90 and 20/80 housing schemes.
In the Second GTP II period, a total of 750,000 condo houses are planned for construction
throughout the country in the 10/90, 20/80 and 40/60 housing schemes.

Re-registration of 40/60, 20/80 & 10/90 House Seekers in

Addis Ababa
Written on October 7, 2015.

UPDATE [JANUARY 26, 2016] - Current Status of 40/60 Condominium in Addis Ababa
2016

All 147,000 people that have so far been given condominium houses and the 835,000 people that
have registered for the 10/90 and 20/80 housing schemes in Addis Abeba are to be re-registered
yet again, in what the city claims is an effort to clear those who are not eligible for different
reasons.

This will be the second time that re-registration is taking place after the first repeat in 2013 when
new people were registered along with the old ones who first registered in 2005. The 835,000
people have saved 11 billion Br in the two schemes.

Registration of those who have already taken their houses will take place to verify ownership of
the houses, according to Halima Badgeba, deputy head of the Addis Abeba Housing
Development Administration Agency.

There have been changes over time, such as deaths, leaving the country, or acquiring houses
through inheritance, said Wondale Befekadu, head of Communication Affairs at the agency,

In the latest draw in April 2015, which awarded houses to 35,000 beneficiaries, only around 960
people are in the 10/90 category. Eight per cent of the people were unable to settle the 10pc or
20pc advance payment, according to Wondale.

The Agency will prepare 117 registration stations throughout the city, where the nearly one
million people will have to present themselves physically, Wondale said, although, as Halima
indicated, the decision when and how to do it has not been decided yet by top officials.

The new registration will give those in the system the opportunity to reshuffle from more
expensive schemes to lower schemes, for instance, from three bedroom 20/80 schemes to one or
two bedrooms. However it is not allowed to go from a lower scheme to a higher, Wondale said.
All people with salaries above 900 Br a month will have to be in the 20/80 scheme even if they
had first registered under 10/90 housing schemes.
Those registered in the 40/60 scheme will not have to re-register, but they can shift to 20/80 or
10/90 schemes, if they want to, said a source at the Agency. Some of the 40/60 houses are
completed, but none has so far been transferred to owners because of incomplete infrastructure.

Since Round One of the condominium distribution, 147,000 people have so far obtained houses.

According to, the second growth & transformation plan (GTP II) of the agency 190,000
condominium houses are to be transferred to house seekers; from this 50,000 are dedicated to
residents of the city who are going to lose their homes because of redevelopment. The agency
has also plans to collect revenue of 25 billion Br from condominium houses.

In the coming five years, 10,000 people will be resettled annually for redevelopment, the Agency
indicated in its plan.

40/60, 20/80 and 10/90 condominium winners required to

pay up to 100,000 birr advance payment
Written on July 26, 2015.

UPDATE [JANUARY 26, 2016] - Current Status of 40/60 Condominium in Addis Ababa
2016

Update [September 3, 2015] - 40/60 Condominium Locations, Number of Houses, Number of

Blocks and Current Status

One of the winners of the 10th round 20/80 condominium lottery was fetene waqjira. He says he
is happy to get his own condominium but he is also worried about the future. He explains that he
was able to save 14,000 birr for the condominium but he was required to pay an advance
payment of 109,000 birr to get the keys for his apartment. Ato Fetene registered on the 1996
condominium program but he re-registered for a 3 bedroom apartment 2 years ago.

When people registered for the 40/60, 20/80 and 10/90 condominium program on 2013, the price
for 3 bedroom 20/80 apartment was around 304,000 birr, but now that cost has escalated to
512,000 birr. Since most people don't have that kind of money, ato Fetene has agreed to borrow
the 20% from a bank and finish his debt in the next 15 years.

This is the issue facing 35,000 residents of Addis Ababa who got their condominium on the 10th
round of the lottery. After 1 year of grace period (Effoyta Gize), he says he has to deposit more
than 4,000 birr per month.

This is worrying not only for the registrants who just got their houses but also for the people who
are currently depositing money and waiting for the new round of condominium lottery.
According to public relation department of commercial bank of Ethiopia, registrants of the 10/90
condominium program have deposited a total of 106 Million Birr in the until July 07, 2015 (Sene
30, 2007) while the registrants of the 20/80 condominium program have deposited a total of 5
Billion birr until the same date.

As for the 40/60 condominium program, registrants have deposited a total of 10 Billion birr until
July 07, 2015 (Sene 30, 2007). According to new data, out of the total 165,000 people registered,
around 15,000 people have paid full amount, which is almost 6,800 more than the data released
in June 2015.

Out of the 860,000 people registered for the 20/80 program, 132,000 were registered in 1996.
Out of the 132,000 registered in 1996, around 34,000 got their homes on the 10th round of
lottery. This leaves around 100,000 registrants who will be given priority on the next round
lottery.

City administration prepares new house ownership

scheme
Written on March 30, 2015.

Mayor of Addis Ababa Driba Kuma has revealed that a new housing plan has been
prepared to enable citizens who have smaller income and that did not register to buy
condominiums in previous listings, become house owners.

The new scheme is especially tailored for people who have smaller income and are not able to
save in order to be included on the current housing schemes. The mayor said applicants can
register at their surrounding woreda offices to be considered in the program that will start in the
coming year.
More than 22,000 people were registered in the previously started 10/90 housing program which
targets particularly low income groups of the society. So far,the city administration has
transferred 1,000 houses to the 10/90 scheme clients and another 35,000 houses will be handed
over to those on the 20/80 scheme waiting list. Recipients are identified through a lottery draw.
According to the city administration report, 9.2 billion birr was spent for building the
condominium houses with a government subsidy of an additional 7.2 billion. We have seen that
some people did not register due to financial problems but are desperately in need of housing.
After a long discussion with stakeholders, we have prepared a plan to include such people in the
program and we will start to build the houses starting from the next budget year Driba said.
However, the mayor did not comment on the payment conditions.
The mayor also called on local contractors to participate in the construction of condominium
houses, which is currently carried out on the governments budget. Like real estate houses, we
need local investors to invest on condominium houses. We are willing to give them land if they
are interested to build the condos and sell them.
More than 900,000 people have registered in the condominium scheme. If local investors
involve in these projects, the number of house that will be delivered yearly will also increase.
The mayor had said the city administration is considering to call in foreign investors to develop
condominiums as well.
Foreign investors have shown their interest to build condos but we have to check our policy, the
job opportunity, the design, and the cost before we allow them to enter in to the business.
In the past ten years, 136,000 houses were transferred to lucky winners and the administration
had already promised to deliver 75,000 more houses this fiscal year.
In another development, the Addis Ababa Housing Development Administration Agency
disclosed that it has prepared a reward for informants who will tip off the agency of people who
own condominium houses while owning another property .
Mesfin Mengestu, Head of the agency said, We have to work fairly. We do not tolerate people
who have a house and scramble for a condominium . The government alone cannot sort these
problems and we need people to inform us about house owners who have a condo plus another
house.
Winners of the 10th round draw for the 10/90 houses will pay 1,910 birr per square meter, and
studio winners pay 2,483 birr, and one bed room winners will pay 3,438 birr per square meter.
The administration stated that the houses which are found in Yeka Abadu, Ledetta, and Arat kilo
sites will be transferred to the winners in two months time.
Customers who saved money for 16 months in a row are selected on the 10th round houses
transfer lottery.
Around 1,200 houses of the 40/60 program and more than 30,000 condominium houses are
expected to be transferred to winners until the end of this Ethiopian year.

1.06 billion Br Condominium Road Contracts Awarded to 5

Contractors
Written on March 23, 2015.

The Addis Abeba City Roads Authority (AACRA)

awarded seven contracts to five contractors for a cumulative 1.06 billion Br for 20kms of asphalt
roads. The agreements were signed on Thursday June 26, 2014 between Fekade Haile (Eng),
head of the AACRA, and representatives of the construction companies, at the AACRAs
headquarters.

All off the projects are financed by Addis Abeba City Adminstration.

Yemane Girmay General Contractor will handle two roads for a total of 267 million Br, under the
supervision of the RDDC Consulting Firm. This is for a 30m wide and 4.1km long road from
Ayat Square to Ayat Goro junction. They will be supervised by the Best Consulting Firm on a
50m wide and 1.9km long road from CMC square to Karalo junction. The contractor will be paid
160.9 million Br and 106.2 million Br, respectively, for the two roads.

CRBC Addis Engineering Plc will also handle two asphalt roads, for which it will be paid 320
million Br. It will get 90.8 million Br for a 30m wide 2.44km long road from Akaki main road to
Tulu Dimtu Condominium; the Classic Consulting firm will supervise the construction. CRBCs
second contract, worth 229.2 million Br, is for a 4.2km road, 30-50m wide, inside the Bole
Arabssa Condominium; RDDC will be the supervisor.

Macro General Contractor has been awarded a 260.7 million Br contract for a 50m wide 3.57km
long road from the Bole Arabssa Junction to the Bole Arabssa Condominium, whilst Aser
Construction Plc have been given a 110.8 million Br contract for a 1.94km road that is 25m wide
from Sara Ampoule to Yeka Abado Condominium. The RDDC and Dana & His Friends
Consulting firm will, respectively, supervise the two projects.

Melcon Construction Plc will undertake a 25m wide 1.9km long road inside the Yeka Abado
Condominium site for 104.3 million Br, with the supervision of Dana & His Friends.

All selected contractors made the lowest offers in their categories. All will begin construction
within 15 days of the agreement and complete the projects in eight to nine months, according to
Fekade.

We screened all the contractors that applied for these projects, and banned those that performed
less than 80pc in ongoing projects, he said.

Currently, Addis Abeba has a road coverage of 4,607Km, of which 2.257Km is asphalt, 831Km
is cobblestone and 1,583Km gravel. There are currently 146 road projects in the city for which
3.4 billion Br out of a total budget of 3.7 billion Br has already been spent.