ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopia’s youth secured remarkable victories at the 2025 BRICS Skills Competition in Guangzhou, China, earning gold, silver, and bronze medals.
The Ministry of Labor and Skills has pledged to intensify support for equipping young people with globally competitive skills in light of this achievement.
The competition brought together over 300 participants from BRICS member states, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa and focused on intelligent manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital innovation, and future-oriented technologies.
Representing Ethiopia, Zelalem Endalew won the Gold Medal with his IoT-Based Smart Irrigation Controlling and Monitoring System. Abenezer Tekeste secured Silver with his Manual Plastic Injection Molding Machine, while Nebiha Nesru Awoll earned Bronze for her AI-Based Nurse Calling System.
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At a ceremony held last night in Addis Ababa, Labor and Skills Minister Muferihat Kamil honored the medalists, praising their creativity, dedication, and contribution to national pride.
“The three medals won by our youth are not only a source of pride but also evidence of what can be achieved when we empower the next generation,” the Minister said. “We will intensify efforts to expand training and provide the resources needed to ensure even greater accomplishments in the future.”
She highlighted that skills development remains central to the government’s reform agenda, with tangible results emerging in training programs and technology transfer initiatives. The Ministry is also working with partners to expand youth-focused innovation programs nationwide.
“The results of this competition are a victory not only for the winners but for Ethiopia’s skills development sector as a whole,” Muferihat stressed.
The medalists expressed gratitude for the recognition and reiterated their commitment to developing impactful, locally relevant technologies with potential benefits beyond Ethiopia to the wider BRICS community.
“We have proven that Ethiopian youth can compete and succeed globally. We are inspired to keep building solutions that address real-world challenges,” said gold medalist Zelalem Endalew.
The Ministry reaffirmed its pledge to strengthen collaboration with stakeholders to expand training in cutting-edge technologies and promote innovation across the nation.
