Addis Ababa steps up urban renewal and housing delivery under 90-day plan

The Addis Ababa City Administration has completed a two-day review of its first-quarter performance for the 2019 Ethiopian fiscal year, reporting progress in housing, urban renewal and transport infrastructure under its 90-day plan, Mayor Adanech Abiebie said.

On housing, the mayor said efforts had been made to provide clean, dignified homes for people facing housing shortages and for residents displaced by development projects. The administration also carried out meal-sharing initiatives, and she noted that the city had continued construction during the rainy season, challenging the long-standing assumption that building projects cannot be carried out during that period.

In transport infrastructure, four major parking and terminal facilities became operational, while new roads, pedestrian and cycling routes, drainage systems and sewer lines were developed to reduce flooding in the city. The administration also cited summer voluntary work, the Green Legacy Initiative and the upgrading of underserved neighbourhoods among activities delivered under the 90-day plan.

To ease seasonal living costs, the city expanded the supply of goods through seven market centres and improved the operation of weekend markets, the mayor said during the performance review.

Adanech attributed the reported progress to a stronger work ethic, a culture of service and integrity, and the application of the Medemer principle to improve the speed and quality of implementation. She pledged to address differences in performance among institutions and individual employees through stronger support and follow-up, and called for clearer individual responsibilities and accountability alongside coordinated work.