Pakistan, Ethiopia Agree to Expand Cooperation in Education and Skills Development

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Ethiopia have agreed to strengthen cooperation in education, skills development and technological innovation to deepen bilateral relations.

The understanding was reached during a meeting between Ethiopian Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Oumer H. Oba and Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in Islamabad on Thursday.

The two sides discussed a range of potential areas for collaboration, including institutional partnerships, higher education, technical and vocational training, student exchanges, and research and development.

Ambassador Oumer emphasised the importance of educational cooperation in bringing the two countries closer and advancing shared development goals across the Global South. He noted that bilateral relations were growing across several sectors and said stronger educational links could create further opportunities for collaboration.

Highlighting Ethiopia’s young population, the ambassador said his country was prioritising skills development, particularly in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and robotics.

He also highlighted the 5 Million Ethiopian Coders initiative, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, as part of efforts to equip young people with digital skills and expand the country’s skilled workforce.

Dr Siddiqui welcomed Ethiopia’s economic development and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening relations with African countries, including Ethiopia.

He assured the ambassador of Pakistan’s support for expanding cooperation in higher education, technical and vocational education, technology and innovation.

The meeting reflects both countries’ interest in developing educational partnerships and exploring opportunities to exchange expertise, strengthen institutional links and equip young people with skills relevant to evolving labour markets.