Addis Ababa — Zimbabwean Chief Justice Luke Malaba has commended Ethiopia for its notable progress in digital technology and its growing efforts to assert digital sovereignty.

Malaba along his delegation visited the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute and the Information Network Security Administration.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the chief justice highlighted Ethiopia's strides in digital transformation and underlined the importance of maintaining national control over data and technology.

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He said the visit left a strong impression on the delegation, particularly the role of young professionals working in the country's digital sector.

"What impressed us most was the confidence in the youngsters of Ethiopia. We saw dedicated engineers committed to intellectual development and ownership of national sovereignty," Malaba said.

He stressed the importance of developing homegrown technologies to sustain digital progress, cautioning against excessive dependence on foreign systems that may not align with national priorities.

Malaba praised Ethiopia's advanced systems for data collection and national identification, describing data as "the wealth of the Ethiopian people."

According to him, the Ethiopian judiciary has made comprehensive reforms, which are supported by a government-wide approach, integrating various departments in the judicial modernization process.

Having noted the innovative systems being implemented in Ethiopia to foster creativity and strengthen confidence in locally developed technologies, he expressed that he observed notable technological progress, including advanced recording systems for court proceedings that have significantly reduced the time required for transcription.