Ethiopian urban areas are experiencing population growth rate of 5.4 percent annually, a senior official has disclosed on Wednesday.
The population in Ethiopia is forecast to be 110 million, becoming the second most populous nation in Africa, after Nigeria,
The growth rate was revealed by engineer Aisha Mohammed, Minister of Urban Development and Construction at a consultative forum jointly organized by her ministry and UN-HABITAT to discuss urbanization in Ethiopia.
She said migration from rural to urban centers are the main reason for the high rate of urbanization in the country.
However, she said, the number of people living in urban areas of Ethiopia is low compared to other sub-Saharan countries.
Aisha said the joint efforts of all stakeholders are vital to properly manage problems that will result from urbanization, including unemployment.
According to her, the event was organised to determine the share of sectoral offices as part of efforts to deal with the problem.
The event also reviewed the strategic plan prepared by the Ministry of Urban Development and Construction to address the problem.
MG/as/APA