Chinese Government provides ETB 1.6 billion grant for China-Africa Bamboo Center Project

In early September 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) that the Chinese Government would support the construction of a China-Africa Bamboo Center.

He said that “the Chinese Government will implement 50 green development and eco-environmental assistance projects for Africa, including the construction of the China-Africa Bamboo Center, to help Africa develop the bamboo and rattan industry.” According to the Government of Ethiopia’s Aid Management Platform (AMP), the Chinese Government and the Government of Ethiopia subsequently signed a grant agreement worth ETB 1,604,471,191 on September 30, 2018 for the China-Africa Bamboo Center Project.

The purpose of the project is to establish a demonstration center and training center — known as the China-Africa Bamboo Center Project and the African Bamboo Training Center — in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopia reportedly accounts for 60% of Africa’s bamboo production and the center has the potential become the largest bamboo center in Africa.

It is envisaged that the center will serve as a continental hub for sustainable bamboo management and processing, with a focus on technology transfer and expertise sharing from China.

The center is also expected to develop a full program of training and capacity building programs, and to provide space for researchers from across the world to find out more about bamboo’s applications. As of May 2022, the AMP recorded no grant disbursements for this project.