ADDIS ABABA, April 1 (AGCNewsNet) – Ethiopia has signed financing agreements worth $96.4 million with the World Bank, aimed at increasing equitable access to education and improving learning outcomes in pre-primary and primary schools, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday.

The funding includes a $50 million loan from the International Development Association (IDA) Country Performance Allocations and a $46.4 million grant from the Global Partnership for Education Fund, with the World Bank also acting as the grant agent.

The agreements will support Ethiopia’s efforts to enhance in-service teacher training, particularly for pre-primary and grades 1-6 teachers of mother-tongue languages and mathematics. The program will also strengthen pre-service and in-service teacher development in line with the country’s new curriculum.

In addition to teacher training, the funds will be used to equip school leaders with management skills, with a focus on promoting female leadership, and to ensure the equitable distribution of both print and digital teaching and learning materials.

The initiative aligns with Ethiopia’s broader strategy to improve access to quality education as a driver of long-term sustainable development, the finance ministry said.

Ethiopia’s Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide, signed the agreements on behalf of the government, while Maryam Salim, the World Bank’s Country Director for Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, and South Sudan, signed on behalf of the lender.

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