BULBULA, ETHIOPIA, 18 May 2021 - The Bulbula Integrated Agro-Industrial Park, which occupies 271 hectares of land in Western Oromia Regional State, has been inaugurated in the presence of Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Shimelis Abdissa, President of Oromia Regional State, and Melaku Alebel, Federal Minister of Trade and Industry. The inauguration ceremony was also attended by Vera Songwe, UNECA Executive Secretary; Abdul Kamara, Country Manager of the Africa Development Bank Group; and Ousmane Dione, Country Representative of the World Bank Group, as well as senior government officials, UN representatives, diplomats, potential investors, construction companies, and members of the local community, including Jarso elders and farmers’ unions.

The Bulbula Integrated Agro-Industrial Park, strategically located between Lake Langano and Lake Abiyata in the heart the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia, includes a bank, a waste treatment plant, a health clinic, a police station, training centres and managerial facilities.

During the inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister Abiy underlined the effort underway to modernize the nation’s agricultural capabilities through the development of agro-industries. “The inauguration of the Bulbula Integrated Agro-Industrial Park is a demonstration of Ethiopia’s vision for prosperity through the agriculture sector.”

The park will enable the processing of agro-value chains that include, among others, fruits and vegetables, dairy, honey and poultry. Once the park is fully operational, it is estimated that it will create jobs for more than 100,000 people drawn from local communities.

The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to all those who have had a stake in the establishment of the park. The UNIDO Representative, Aurelia Calabrò, was presented with a bulco, a traditional locally-made blanket that is given to people recognized for their exceptional engagement in promoting the local community.

See also:

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurates Yirgalem Integrated Agro-Industrial Park in Sidama State, Ethiopia, 13 March 2021

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurates Bure Integrated Agro-Industrial Park in Amhara State, 7 February 2021