The newly elected Chairperson of EPRDF, Abiy Ahmed (PhD), was born on August 15, 1976 in Agaro, Jimma Zone (District).
Dr. Abiy received his first degree in Computer Engineering from Microlink Information Technology College in Addis Ababa in 2001. In 2005, he completed his post-graduate advanced diploma in Cryptology from Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.
He also holds MA, in Transformational Leadership and Change with Merit, Greenwich University, London in collaboration with International Leadership Institute, Addis Ababa in 2011.
Dr. Abiy has received MBA from Leadstar College of Management and Leadership in Partnership with Ashland in 2013.
He completed his PhD in 2017 from Institute for Peace and Security Studies at Addis Ababa University. He did his Ph.D. work on Agaro constituency entitled “Social Capital and its Role in Traditional Conflict Resolution in Ethiopia.”
Dr. Abiy has been working with Lieutenant Colonel Level in Ministry of Defense in different countries; besides, he has served as Executive Director with Science and Technology Excellence Center.
He established the Ethiopian Information Network Security Agency (INSA) in 2007. Until 2010, he was the Deputy Director of INSA.
Before Dr. Abiy is elected as Chairperson of The Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organization (OPDO), he has been serving as Urban and Housing Development Bureau Head with a rank of Oromiya Regional State Cabin Deputy Head of State.
Besides his political and military roles, he served as Board Chairman of Jimma University, Oromia Micro Finance Bank, Oromia Broadcasting Network, Ethio Telecom and Ethiopian Television (EBC).
According to sources, Dr. Abiy is married. He is a multilingual and speaks Afan Oromo, Amharic, Tigric and English. He is a fitness aficionado and professes that frequents physical and gym activities.