Ethiopia –
Millennium Development Goals
1 and 2
Eleanor Bushe
Amanda Donohoe
The Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia
Ethiopia


Location: Eastern Africa
[Sub-Saharan Africa]
Population: 85.8 million
: United Nations Millennium Development
Goals Dataset, 2009

Africa
vast upland
areas


Capital: Addis Ababa
Harsh physical /
environmental conditions
Ranked one of the poorest
nations in the world [171 of
182 countries] : United Nations
Human Development Report, 2009
rivers

Ethiopia

… dependent on aid
Ireland’s poorest aid
recipient
Debt relief : 2001



1984: major Famine….death toll : nearly 1
million….Live Aid 1985, US$60 million approx....
1990s: independence war with former province Eritrea
(now independent) ....death toll : over 200,000….United
Nations Peacekeeping Operation….Peace Agreement
in 2000….peace along borders remains
insecure….signing of Mine Ban Treaty…
Millennium Goals incorporated into country
development plan….specific to Ethiopia…. ‘A Plan for
Accelerated and Sustained Development to End
Poverty’ [medium-term plan : 2005 – 2010]....publicity
campaigns, Millennium Development Goals Report in
2004, increased tax and investment
 Government Commitment
Goal 1 : Eradicate Extreme Poverty and
Hunger

Causes :
•
conflict
•
poor education
•
low incomes
•
reliance on agriculture –
harsh physical /
environmental conditions,
lack of infrastructure /
technology, dependency on
coffee exports [25% of
population directly or
indirectly employed : Joint
Committee on Foreign Affairs, 2003],
•
•
peasant land-ownership
[95% of land : Ghose, 1992],
over-working of land, low
food production
poor economic output
unfavourable terms of trade
80
60
% of
population
undernourished
40
20
0
1991 1996 2004
United Nations Millennium Development Goals Dataset, 2009
60
40
Life
expectancy
(yrs)
20
0
1998
2003
2007
United Nations Human Development
Reports, 2000, 2005, 2009
A Safety Net Programme

Agriculture-Led Industrialisation Plan :
•
•
•
•

Elsewhere :
•
•
•
•
•
100
80
60
40
20
0
2000
2005
0
2
4
6
United Nations Millennium Development Goals
Dataset, 2009
% of
population
living on
less than
US$1 a
day
Land-use rotation
Climate extremes preventative measures
e.g. water harvesting
Savings and Credit Co-operatives
Spin-off industries e.g. hides and skins
Investment in infrastructure
The Safety Net Programme [Irish Aid]
Recent economic growth of +11% per
annum…US$240 million from IMF to
lessen impact of global recession
Fastest growing non–oil and mineral
economy in sub-Saharan Africa…exports
of agricultural products, textiles, metal etc.
World’s 5th fastest growing economy in
2010? : The Economist
Goal 2 : Achieve Universal Primary
Education



60
50
Net Enrolment
Ratio in Primary
Education (NER,
%)
40
30
20
10
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
0
2000

70
1999

80
1994

Education not only a fundamental
human right, but a critical catalyst for
the development of a country :
Lenihan, 2006; UNESCO, 2008;
United Nations, 2008; UNICEF,
2009…NB. health
One target, three indicators
Gender equality-disparity, boys to
girls; boys more likely to be educated
30% increase of GPI between 1999
and 2006 : UNESCO, 2008
1st Indicator: NER in primary
education: 1999-2007, increase of
37.6%..children living above poverty
line more likely to attend
2nd Indicator: Proportion of pupils
starting grade 1 who reach last grade
of primary: increase of 27.2 %.
Completion rates: boys doubled, girls
tripled : MDG Indicators, 2009
3rd Indicator: Literacy rate of 15-24
year olds, women and men. 19851994: 33.6%, 1995-2005: 49.9%.
Adult literacy +15% : UNDP, 2008
1991

United Nations Millennium Development Goals
Dataset, 2009

Catalysts for Progress in Achieving Universal Primary Education :
•
Abolishment of school fees : United Nations, 2008; The World Bank and UNICEF,
2009
•
•
•
•
•
•
Increase in national spending on education: 2000=9.7%, 2007= 23.3%
: United Nations, 2009
Large scale investments in government schools : Bihanu, 2008
Increase in teacher recruitments : UNESCO, 2008
Peace and stability : The World Bank and UNICEF, 2009
Training boards and education officers : The World Bank and UNICEF, 2009
Aid: Irish Aid has spent €3million on textbooks and supplies grade 5-10, 750
vulnerable and orphan children off streets and in full time education : Irish Aid,
2006

Challenges :
•
•
•
•
•
Increased class size and pupil-teacher ratio : 1994-2004 100% increase,
33: 1 → 66:1 : The World Bank and UNICEF, 2009
Half of teachers under-qualified : The World Bank and UNICEF, 2009
Overcrowded schools : The World Bank and UNICEF, 2009
High rates of drop-out : Over half don’t complete primary
education : The World Bank and UNICEF, 2009
Remain 5th highest out-of-school population, despite 10%
annual decline : The World Bank and UNICEF, 2009