Addis Ababa is hosting city leaders from across the African continent for the 2026 The African Mayoral Leadership Initiative (AMALI) Mayors Leadership Forum, marking the second time the Ethiopian capital has served as host for this prestigious gathering. The forum provides a platform for African mayors to exchange urban development strategies, present ongoing city transformations, and advance approaches to building city-level capacity.
Opening the forum, H.E. Mayor Adanech Abiebie underscored Addis Ababa’s dedicated leadership focus on Early Childhood Development (ECD), reaffirming the administration’s commitment: “in making the Addis the best Africa City to raise children”.
“Strengthening Early Childhood Development has become a central part of Addis Ababa’s broader development agenda,” noted Mayor Adanech during her address.
Inauguration of the Luísa Diogo Childcare Center
As part of the forum’s activities, Mayor Adanech joined AMALI leaders, international delegates, honoured families (Ms Diogo’s husband and children), and guests to officially inaugurate and open a state-of-the-art childcare facility in the capital. The child care center and an accompanying memory monument is dedicated to the lasting memory of Luísa Diogo, the prominent former prime minister of Mozambique, honouring her invaluable contributions to the programme. The newly opened childcare center represents a milestone of collaboration which has been realized through the AfC-ECD fund mobilisation through Myriad and Strategic Program Management Office guidance to operationalized with the sub-city administration in the contribution of dedicated land and capital investment.
The Center expressed its deep gratitude to H.E Mayor Adanech Abiebie for her extraordinary leadership & guidance and heartfelt thanks to Big Win Philanthropy Founder, Chair, and President Jemmy Cooper, CEO Dr. Kesetebrihan Admasu, and their team for their generous financial backing and technical support.
