The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Ethiopian diaspora have purchased bonds worth over $4.9 million to contribute towards the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, during the concluded Ethiopian fiscal year.

Diaspora Engagement Affairs Directorate General with the Ministry, Demeke Atnafu, said that Ethiopians are participating in the overall growth and development of their country through investment, skills and knowledge transfer and foreign exchange schemes.

Mr Atnafu said more than 440 discussion forums have been organised by Ethiopian embassies abroad to mobilise over 43,000 members of the Ethiopian diaspora in different countries to scale up national consensus. New diaspora associations have been established and over 230 former associations strengthened.

Over 5,000 Diaspora bank accounts have been opened, saving over $25 million in the past eight months.

Over 600 members of the Diaspora have also registered to invest in Ethiopia and 234 of them have started running their own business so far, mostly in the manufacturing sector in the Oromiya Regional State.

With regards to skill and knowledge transfer, 93 members of the Ethiopian Diaspora have linked to 20 governmental sectors to assure health and engineering knowledge and skill transfer.

Diaspora members from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are contributing to course and curriculum preparation and research and thesis advice for second degree and PhD candidates at Jimma and Bahir Dar Universities.