May 8, 2026
Addis Ababa, April 24/2018, (From the Swedish Embassy)
A panel discussion was organized by the Swedish Embassy in Addis Ababa, which included participants from the Ministry of Education, universities, various sector institutions, and the private sector.
The panel discussion was held to further strengthen the 80-year-old diplomatic relationship between Sweden and Ethiopia and to exchange experiences and knowledge on the use of wood products as construction materials.
The panellists, who stated that it is necessary to work closely to make this transition a reality, pointed out that the experience of using wood products as construction materials is not yet developed, and that Sweden’s experience can help achieve the desired results in the sector.
Participants from 6 institutions shared their experiences in the panel discussion. It was stated that, in Ethiopia, the experience of using wood and wood products for small-scale construction is not yet developed, and most of the wood products are imported.
The panel discussion highlighted that, given the current situation, the results achieved by Ethiopia under the Green Legacy Initiative are impressive, and that adopting Sweden’s experience and expertise in using this forest cover to achieve the expected results will have a significant contribution to the growth of the sector.
Eng. Mulualem Debebe, the Executive Director of the Construction Industry Development Department, who represented the Ministry, stated that in line with the 10-year development plan prepared in our country to replace 80 percent of construction inputs with domestic products, a code and standard for wood products has been prepared and is being worked on within the policy framework.
In this regard, it was considered that Sweden has better experience and knowledge in the sector, and since it uses 20 percent of wood products in the construction sector, bringing this experience to our country and utilizing it will greatly contribute to the growth of the sector.
ግብረ-መልስ ላክ
