As Phase II of the Addis Ababa Corridor Development project gets underway the city’s residents are bracing for more of the displacement and inconveniences that marked the first phase of the ambitious and costly project. Unveiled with great fanfare by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and Addis Ababa mayor Adanech Abiebie, the new phase is said to be rooted in the need to refine and scale up the success of its previous iteration by tackling the challenges encountered then and incorporating effective strategies. The government claims the second phase is anticipated to connect the city center with vital access points and growing neighborhoods, thereby improving connectivity and promoting a more integrated urban environment for the residents of Addis Ababa. Given the plethora of flaws which attended the initial corridor development project, it’s no wonder that the city’s inhabitants and other onlookers are voicing misgivings about the new phase.
Addis Ababa has been undergoing significant transformations soon after PM Abiy came to power in April 2018. The premier’s administration describes the corridor development initiative as a continuation of reform strategies intended to transform Addis into a smart and contemporary city by revitalizing overlooked urban areas. It argues the initiative considers the needs of a burgeoning metropolis, encompassing projects for the establishment of bicycle lanes, expansive pedestrian pathways, improved road infrastructure, parks, libraries, and additional housing units. It further maintains the project seeks to modernize outdated drainage systems and upgrade essential utility networks, including electricity and internet services. The prime minister and the mayor, however, have conceded that it has occasioned considerable hardship for the inhabitants of the capital whose properties were either demolished as well as for commuters affected by road closures during construction works. Nonetheless, they were adamant that upon completion the project is set to yield substantial long-term advantages for all stakeholders.
While the government has sung the praises of the corridor development project, detractors paint a different picture. They contend that it serves a sinister political agenda, namely to uproot certain communities deemed to be implacably opposed to the ruling Prosperity Party from their neighborhood for the express purpose of effecting demographic shifts that unduly benefit supporters and cronies of the party’s leadership. They are also of the belief that it aims at creating the perception that the city is treading the path to progress even as it papers over the set of debilitating socio-economic challenges gripping the city and the country as a whole. What is more, the detractors assert that one of its other goals is to improve access to the Chaka project, an enormous palace complex that features a luxury hotel, guesthouses for visiting heads of state, ministerial residences, high-end housing blocks and three artificial lakes and is expected to cost billions of dollars.
Although this is not the right place to speculate about what truly motivated the government to embark on the corridor development project, its implementation has undoubtedly been beset by a raft of shortcomings that have had grave socio-economic impacts. Chief among the criticisms leveled against at the project are: forcing residents living in the areas slated for the project to vacate their properties at a short notice; awarding construction works to contractors without competitive bidding; undertaking construction activities that potentially violate the city’s master plan; and demanding bribes to rescind illegitimate eviction orders. Aside from these, the demolition of over a dozen fuel stations and the prohibition to park cars along the newly constructed roads without providing alternative parking arrangement do not only inconvenience drivers, but also harm businesses located off these roads by turning away potential customers. The unavailability of schools, medical facilities and other infrastructures in some of the places where displaced residents were resettled has likewise led to grievances.
As beneficial as the corridor development project may be in certain respects, there is no arguing that in the final analysis it addresses the intractable problems confronting Addis Ababa’s inhabitants, not exacerbate them. In particular, it is imperative to minimize the economic and psychological toll it takes on vulnerable sections of society, including the elderly and poor. After all, progress should not come at the cost of social welfare. It’s also of paramount importance to ensure that the project is compliant with the city’s master plan and all legal requirements. Moreover, everything should be done to prevent it from being afflicted by such improprieties as bribery, nepotism and other forms of corruption. It’s only then that the project can enjoy the broad-based public support essential to its success.
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