Land Ownership in Ethiopia

Hey guys. I’ve recently been closely analyzing the National Dialogue process in Ethiopia which was officially ratified by Parliament in late 2021, when it commenced with the release of political prisoners. Since then, the official objective of the process was to restructure the country, and heal a country filled with divisions. Obviously, things that would normally be considered ‘tabboo’ would be coming up in their conferences. One of them included land ownership.

As for those who don’t know, all land in Ethiopia is state-owned meaning citizens can only lease the land, and not actually own it, which has really strained potential investments that would be made if freehold titles existed. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed even suggested it to Parliament several years ago, and proposes it in a way that ’doesn't harm farmers’.

Given the sensitivity regarding land ownership in Ethiopia as it’s still a socialist-oriented society, as well as PM Abiy Ahmed’s ambitions for a privatized economy, where do you think we will end up with land ownership in the upcoming years?