Incredible Ethiopia and her rich history

Ethiopian Airlines took off from Entebbe airport for the three-hour trip to Addis Ababa. I braced myself for the worst, but I was in for a big surprise. My impression of this Eastern African state started changing right from arrival.

The beginning of a tour of a multi-faced gem with not only several huge development projects, but also a rich history.

You could tell from the activity at Bole International Airport, I later learnt that it was one of Africa’s busiest and the hub for the continent’s fourth biggest airline- Ethiopian Airlines. What was even more important was the fact that this airline, which is owned by the Ethiopian government, is Africa’s most profitable.

Surprises about their airline
I was awakened to some of the grim memories of a poorly managed Uganda Airlines that ceased existing after only 17 years. Compare that to Ethiopia’s aviation industry that clocked 70 years last year.

Founded in 1945, Ethiopian Airlines was the first fully fledged African aviation company. It made its maiden flight in 1946 from Addis Ababa to Cairo. The airline boasts of 68 passenger planes and eight cargo aircrafts. They are also gearing up to receive Africa’s first 14 ultra-modern fuel efficient Airbus 350 planes.

Hydroelectric power plant
I travelled to the Benishangul-Gumuz region, about 15 km East of the border with Sudan, home to one of the biggest projects ever undertaken on the continent- the Grand Renaissance Hydro Power Dam on the Blue Nile. Looking at some of the snags Uganda’s power projects have faced, this venture which seems like a miracle is almost complete.

At 6,000 MW, the dam will be the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa when complete, as well as the 11th largest in the world. The storage reservoir has a surface area of 1561 km² at level of 640 m, which holds a large volume of water equal to 79 billion m³.

The motor vehicle industry
As Ugandan ventures like Kiira Motors Corporation project eyes production in 2018, their Ethiopian counterparts are already in full scale vehicle manufacturing. The Engineering Brigade of the Ethiopian Army manufactures buses which are largely used in the country. They also produce armoured war tanks and other forms of ammunition.

A Chinese factory in Ethiopia also manufactures Corolla and Lifan sedans. A Lifan ride to the Blue Nile left me wondering why Uganda does not explore the Ethiopian motor vehicle market. Lifan is not only comfortable, but would also give Ugandans that chance of driving brand new cars compared to the old Japanese vehicles that dominate our roads.

Kampala can be messy at peak hours with all forms of vehicles competing for space with boda bodas and people on narrow streets. Addis Ababa, whose population is over twice Kampala’s 1.2m people, has made efforts to counter crowding.

Home of runners
Nothing has given the country prominence more than its runners. This record-breaking tale began in 1960 when barefooted Abebe Bikila won the marathon at the 1960 Olympics. Bikila defended his title, though this time in sneakers, at the next summer games in Rome. These historic performances marked the start of a new era of great Ethiopian runners.

Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba, Deratu Tulu, Meseret Defar, Genzebe Dibaba, Lelisa Desisa are just some of the Ethiopian stars who have blazed their way to world records. “Running is part of our culture. Right from childhood, Ethiopians move long distances in hilly terrain. This builds stamina,” Gebrselassie told me.

And, it has not only been about running. These stars have greatly contributed to the economy by bringing home millions of dollars in form of prize money.

“Those high rise buildings belong to Gebrselassie. That one belongs to Bekele,” my guide kept telling me as we strolled through the heart of Addis Ababa.

This rich athletics story has also proved a huge tourist attraction as athletes from all over the globe stream to this nation in search of the secret to long distance running. China is also constructing a huge multi-discipline sports complex in the middle of Addis Ababa.

I begrudgingly boarded the plane for my return journey. I wish African governments could fight corruption and instill the true spirit of patriotism among the young generation to better our continent.