Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (L), Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh (C), and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir (R) on Dec. 9, 2018, inaugurate a Chinese-contracted major road project as the Ethiopian government aspires to connect strategic towns in western Ethiopia. (Photo: Xinhua)

JIMMA, Ethiopia, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Saturday inaugurated the Chinese-built Jimma Industry Park in Ethiopia's western town of Jimma, some 350 km west of the capital Addis Ababa.

The three leaders also on Saturday laid the corner-stone for another Chinese-contracted major road infrastructure project as the Ethiopian government aspires to connect strategic towns in western Ethiopia, including the historic town of Jimma, with Agaro and Dedesa towns.

Ethiopia's Ahmed, speaking after the industrial park launching and road project commencement events, said that the two development projects showcase the Ethiopian government's strong commitment to transforming the Jimma town and its surroundings in particular and Ethiopia in general toward industrialization.

Jimma Industrial Park, built by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), is expected to host investors in light manufacturing sectors, mainly agro-processing, textiles and apparel products.

Stretched on 75 hectares of land, the industry park hosts nine manufacturing sheds.

Ahmed said that the Jimma industry park will help western Ethiopia become one of Ethiopia's industrial powerhouses.

The industry zone, he said, as the latest addition to Ethiopia's huge industrial park development ambitions, would help local community members particularly the youth to get highly needed job opportunities.

Noting that foreign companies are approaching the Ethiopian government to invest in the Jimma industry zone, Ahmed urged local community members to strive with government efforts in protecting and benefiting from the industry park.

Lelise Neme, CEO of Ethiopian Industrial Parks Development Corporation (IPDC), said that the industry park's strategic location would benefit not only the local community but also Ethiopia's economy in general.

The industry zone, which has now become the sixth operational industry zone in the East African country, would help the socioeconomic condition of Jimma town and its surroundings, Neme said.

Wen Yingzheng, general manager for CCCC East Africa, told Xinhua that the designing and construction of the project took nine months.

"We did our best, and we are glad that a high quality industry park was completed in such a short time," he said.

In October, Ethiopia had also inaugurated Adama Industrial Park. Located some 74 km southeast of Addis Ababa, the Adama industrial park was also built by a Chinese firm, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC).

Both Jimma and Adama industrial parks are part of the Ethiopian government's grand plan to transform the now largely agrarian country into an industrialized middle-income economy by 2025.

The Jimma-Agaro-Dedesa road project was contracted by China Railway Construction Company-21 Group (CRCC-21). The 79 km road project has a budget of 1.3 billion Ethiopian birr (about 46 million U.S. dollars).

CRCC-21, which has previously completed two other road projects in Ethiopia, pledged to create as many job opportunities for local community members as possible.

Speaking to Xinhua, Zhuang Jidong, president of CRCC-21, said the road project will be completed within 3.5 years.

"We will mobilize all resources that are available to finalize the project in time and up to the standard," Zhuang said.

"Our presence in this country gives us lots of opportunities to contribute to Ethiopia's development as well as to further strengthen the partnership between China and Ethiopia," he added.

The long-awaited road infrastructure, upon completion, will play a key role in the development of the east African country in general and the area in Oromia regional state in particular, according to Lemma Megersa, president of Ethiopia's largest Oromia regional state.

Jimma town and its surroundings are known as the major source of Ethiopia's major export commodity coffee, and the road projects are expected further spur the chain of coffee trading in Ethiopia.