A fundraising effort aimed at beautifying the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, has raked in over $25 million from a section of the project supporters.

PM Abiy Ahmed’s office disclosed on Monday 12 May that the latest amount of funds had been raised from local and international support including from the Italian government which contributed 5,000,000 Euros.

Two United Nations outfits gave a million dollars each while the African Development Bank, AfDB, gave 600,000 dollars. The largest tranche of over 17 million dollars were deposits at the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.

The project mainly aims to lift the image and potential of the capital. With the goal of creating many jobs in the project phase, it also aims to generate riverside economies, increase urban tourism, and provide the city’s residents with areas of respite.

The funds paid towards the ‘Beautifying Sherger Project,’ will culminate in a dinner event ‘Dine for Sherger,’ slated for later this week. A seat at the event is valued at 5 million birr. Among others, donors get a plaque with their names along the project route and a photo opportunity with the PM.

Abiy’s office has over the last few months published four rounds of depositors for the dinner. Mostly state-run outfits and businesses operating in the country had been listed as well as several individuals.

The Addis Ababa Riverside Project is a three-year initiative of the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, H.E. Abiy Ahmed Ali.

The development project will run along the two biggest rivers in Addis Ababa – stretching 23.8kms and 27.5kms respectively – all the way from the mountains of Entoto through to Akaki river.

“The project essentially aims to lift the image and potential of the capital. With the goal of creating many jobs in the project phase, it also aims to create riverside economies, increase urban tourism, and provide the city’s residents with areas of respite,” his official social media pages said.