· Fana
PM Abiy Says Modern Construction Technologies Remove Trade-Off Between Speed and Quality
Topics:ConstructionHousing programs
Summary of the Fana report
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his ministers visited a housing demonstration site in Addis Ababa that used 3D printing, light steel prefabrication and container-based units side by side. He said such methods can deliver good homes in days and weeks and could be scaled across the country to change the national housing programme.
Key points
- Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited a housing demonstration site in Addis Ababa with members of the Council of Ministers.
- The site used 3D printing, light steel prefabrication and container-based housing at the same time.
- The Prime Minister said the model can be deployed, repeated and scaled across the country.
- On the same day the Council of Ministers sent a 2.33 trillion birr draft federal budget for 2026/27 to parliament.
Real.et analysis
Fana reports that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited a housing demonstration site in Addis Ababa with members of the Council of Ministers. The site used three building methods at the same time: 3D printing, light steel prefabrication and container-based housing. The Prime Minister said the site showed that good homes can be finished in days and weeks, not months and years. He said the model can be repeated and scaled in other parts of the country, and that it could change the national housing programme.
The visit followed the 56th regular meeting of the Council of Ministers. At that meeting the council sent a draft federal budget of 2.33 trillion birr for 2026/27 to parliament.
What this means for buyers
The site is a demonstration. The report gives no prices, no number of units and no date for a wider roll-out. So treat faster delivery as a possibility, not a fact, when you plan a purchase. If a seller offers a home built with one of these methods, check these points:
- Approval. Ask if the design has a building permit and which code it follows.
- Durability and repair. Ask who repairs a printed wall or a steel frame, and where spare parts come from.
- Finance and resale. Ask your bank if it accepts the home as loan security. A bank may be careful with a new building method.
- Comfort. Ask about heat, noise and damp, above all for container-based units.
What this means for builders
Light steel frames and prefabricated parts could shorten the time on site. That reduces exposure to price changes during construction. The saving depends on local supply of steel and panels, and the report does not cover cost. Compare a prefabricated offer with a conventional concrete and block price for the same floor area.
The government wants to build 1.5 million houses in five years. Faster methods are one way to reach that pace. Read about the 1.5 million houses plan. Our guide to construction material prices in Ethiopia gives present costs for conventional building, and the contractors directory lists firms to ask for prices.