Addis Ababa riverside corridor opens after creating 56,000 construction jobs

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has inaugurated the Kechene-Ambassador Park-Gihon-Irreecha-Bambis Riverside Development Project in Addis Ababa and opened it to the public, adding a major piece of urban renewal and environmental restoration to the capital.

Addis Ababa Mayor Adanech Abiebie said the project created more than 56,000 jobs during construction while advancing efforts to improve residents' safety, livelihoods and quality of life.

In messages published on her social media pages, the mayor described the development as part of a broader vision to transform the city's rivers into sources of life, natural landscapes into places of beauty and public spaces into destinations for recreation, tourism and economic opportunity.

She said the initiative goes beyond construction and forms part of efforts to preserve natural resources and build a greener, more livable Addis Ababa. According to the mayor, people who previously lived in areas exposed to severe flooding have been relocated to new, more suitable homes.

The project has also transformed neglected river corridors into an urban asset with growing tourism appeal, combining environmental conservation with public amenities and opportunities for economic activity. Adanech thanked Abiy for his direction from the initiative's early conception and acknowledged city leaders, professionals, consultants, contractors and residents who helped bring it to completion.