Company Profile

Company Description:

GIZ has been working in Ethiopia on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) since 1964. With about 90 international and 550 national staff, one of GIZ’s largest in-country teams worldwide can be found in this country. In addition, 18 development workers are working in various programmes, and 9 CIM experts are deployed in institutions and programmes in Ethiopia.

Three times the size of Germany, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa with a population of around 95 million people. Despite average economic growth of 10 per cent since 2005, an estimated 30 per cent of Ethiopians still live below the poverty line (World Bank). In UNDP’s Human Development Index (HDI 2014), Ethiopia ranks 173rd in the list of 187 countries (category: low human development). For decades, the rural population in the Ethiopian highlands has been affected by increasing food insecurity stemming from high population growth, deforestation and unsuitable agricultural production methods. The private sector remains underdeveloped.

In response to these challenges, the Ethiopian Government has adopted an ambitious five-year Growth and Transformation Plan (2010-2015), its aim being to achieve the Millennium Development Goals adopted by the United Nations and double Ethiopia’s GDP. Combating poverty and promoting economic growth are key elements of government policy.

In line with the Ethiopian Government’s objectives, German development cooperation with Ethiopia currently focuses on the following priority Areas:

• Labour-market-oriented education and Training
• Sustainable land Management.

In addition, a further priority area for conserving biodiversity was agreed at the Ethiopian-German government negotiations in 2014; this is now in the planning stage.