Ethiopia became the latest African country to launch a satellite into space, a milestone in its scientific innovation.
The East Africa nation has been experiencing internal reforms which are anchored in social-economic development since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took over in 2018.
While appreciating Ethiopian scientists on Friday, PM Ahmed said he will continue working with other nations to explore the space.
“Ethiopia has joined the effort to seek knowledge and information from space,” he said.
Senior officials and citizens gathered at the Entoto Observatory and Research Centre just north of the capital Addis Ababa to watch a live broadcast of the satellite's launch from a space station in China.
"This will be a foundation for our historic journey to prosperity," deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen said in a speech at the launch event broadcast on state television.
The satellite was built by Ethiopian engineers through the help of Chinese counterparts. It was initiated three years ago.
By then, Abiy, an engineer by profession, was the minister of technology during the reign of Hailemariam Desalegn.
Chinese government paid about $6m of the more than $7m manufacturing costs, Solomon Belay, director-general of the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute, told Reuters News Agency.
The African Union adopted a policy on African space development in 2017 and declared that space science and technology could advance economic progress and natural resource management on the continent.
"Space is food, space is job creation, a tool for technology ... sovereignty, to reduce poverty, everything for Ethiopian to achieve universal and sustainable development," said Belay.