The Government of Ethiopia is set to establish Ethiopian Diaspora Agency to realize the participation of Ethiopian Diasporas.

The government’s decision to open up such agency shows its commitment and due focus to the Diasporas, according to Melese Alem, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



“Establishing such agency will help to deliver the interest of Diaspora in an organized manner.” he said today, during weekly press statement.

The decision has followed Ethiopia’s reformist prime Minister Abiy’s recent visit and discussions with Ethiopian Diaspora in the United States. As a result all Ethiopians abroad including those in government blacklist are pardoned with the new law the country recently passed.

Ethiopia is estimated to have between 3 to 5 million people in the diaspora of which most are in North America and Europe. The less $400 million remittance the country used to get annually from its diaspora before 2009 has been increasing over the past years.

Currently the country gets over $4 billion in remittance from its citizen every year, which is one billion more than its earning from export of goods.

The new agency that is going to be established will have its branch offices in all Ethiopian embassies, as well as at all levels of government administrations.

Having a proper dedicated agency in place that mobilizes the diaspora is expected to benefit the country in multiple frontiers, from investing in the 105 million population country, to harnessing the sociopolitical climate of the country, which still begs for foreign food aid to feed millions, among others.