5 wrong reasons why PM Abiy Ahmed is obsessed with vanity projects in Ethiopia?
Posted: 17 May 2025, 15:36
Abiy Ahmed’s emphasis on high-profile, often costly projects in Ethiopia—like the Grand Palace renovation, Prosperity Party HQ, and glitzy infrastructure—has drawn criticism. While motivations can be complex, here are five wrong reasons (mistaken or flawed rationales) that could explain such a focus in a poor country:
1. To Signal Modernity at Any Cost
Wrong because: Showcasing gleaming buildings and lavish projects does not reflect true national progress. Without strong healthcare, education, and food security, these symbols are hollow and disconnected from people's needs.
2. To Cement Legacy Over Livelihoods
Wrong because: Prioritizing personal or political legacy through monuments and megaprojects often diverts limited resources from essential services. True leadership legacy is built on improving lives, not self-glorifying structures.
3. To Distract From Deeper Crises
Wrong because: Using grand projects as a political smokescreen—especially during economic collapse, war, or civil unrest—can deepen public mistrust. It postpones real solutions and may provoke resentment.
4. To Impress Foreign Investors or Donors
Wrong because: Flashy projects might attract headlines, but savvy investors look for political stability, policy consistency, and functional infrastructure. Surface-level development without solid foundations usually backfires.
5. To Reflect Power and Control
Wrong because: Vanity projects can be used to project dominance and central authority, but in a diverse, struggling country, this can seem authoritarian or tone-deaf. Shared prosperity, not spectacle, builds lasting unity.
1. To Signal Modernity at Any Cost
Wrong because: Showcasing gleaming buildings and lavish projects does not reflect true national progress. Without strong healthcare, education, and food security, these symbols are hollow and disconnected from people's needs.
2. To Cement Legacy Over Livelihoods
Wrong because: Prioritizing personal or political legacy through monuments and megaprojects often diverts limited resources from essential services. True leadership legacy is built on improving lives, not self-glorifying structures.
3. To Distract From Deeper Crises
Wrong because: Using grand projects as a political smokescreen—especially during economic collapse, war, or civil unrest—can deepen public mistrust. It postpones real solutions and may provoke resentment.
4. To Impress Foreign Investors or Donors
Wrong because: Flashy projects might attract headlines, but savvy investors look for political stability, policy consistency, and functional infrastructure. Surface-level development without solid foundations usually backfires.
5. To Reflect Power and Control
Wrong because: Vanity projects can be used to project dominance and central authority, but in a diverse, struggling country, this can seem authoritarian or tone-deaf. Shared prosperity, not spectacle, builds lasting unity.