ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Ethiopia is embarking on a transformative journey to enhance its national infrastructure with the development of a sophisticated digital address system. This ambitious project, spearheaded by the Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute, aims to overcome the limitations of existing international mapping services like Google Maps, providing precise location data down to individual homes.
Ato Abdisa Yilma, Director General of the Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute, highlighted the critical need for such a system in an interview with Tikvah Ethiopia. He emphasized that the current reliance on Google Maps presents significant challenges due to its outdated information and a tendency to prioritize company interests over national needs when updating data.
“If an ambulance is needed, repeatedly saying ‘turn here, enter here’ will end,” Ato Abdisa stated, underscoring the system’s potential to drastically improve emergency response times. “We are building a digital address system that shortens direct routes and identifies individual homes.”
The Director General elaborated on the shortcomings of current mapping solutions, noting that Google Maps often displays demolished sites as existing, or fails to reflect changed or closed roads for months. Crucially, its inability to pinpoint individual residences poses a major hurdle for the burgeoning e-commerce sector, delivery services, and vital emergency operations such as ambulance and fire brigade responses.
“Developed countries have their own digital address systems,” Ato Abdisa explained. “When we say Ethiopia will have its own digital address system, it means we will have an Ethiopian version of Google Maps, but with current information.” This homegrown system is designed to map every road, including intricate inner-city pathways, and assign a unique identification number to every house and building. This will enable users to navigate with unprecedented accuracy via mobile devices, much like current map applications, but with far greater detail and relevance to the local context.
The benefits of this national digital address system are far-reaching. For the rapidly expanding e-commerce and delivery industries, it will streamline operations by providing precise addresses for individual homes, moving beyond the current reliance on general landmarks. More critically, it will empower emergency services to reach destinations directly and swiftly, eliminating the precious time lost in verbal directions during critical situations.
This monumental undertaking is a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Urban Development and Infrastructure. The project is currently being implemented in 33 cities across Ethiopia, including the capital, Addis Ababa. Upon its completion, these cities will immediately benefit from the enhanced navigation and service delivery capabilities.
Ato Abdisa affirmed that the initiative will not be confined to these initial cities. Efforts are underway to expand coverage to more urban centers, with a long-term vision to extend the system across the entire nation, encompassing both urban and rural areas. The system will integrate existing house numbers, ensuring a seamless transition without the need for new address registrations.
“We should not continue using Google Maps with its limitations,” Ato Abdisa concluded, stressing the imperative for Ethiopia to develop its own sovereign system. “It is incumbent upon us to develop our own system to identify places, roads, and buildings by their addresses.” This national digital address system represents a significant leap forward for Ethiopia, promising to modernize urban planning, boost economic activities, and enhance public safety and convenience for all citizens.
Source: Telegram / tikvahethiopia