Addis Ababa/Dakar, Ethiopia, December 5, 2025 – A high impact technical delegation from the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Ethiopia, led by Deputy Country Representative Lucy Atim, successfully completed an implementation focused benchmarking mission to Dakar, Senegal, from November 24–27, 2025. This mission, a key deliverable under GGGI’s global commitment to expanding sustainable transport solutions in developing nations, conducted a deep dive into the infrastructure setup, operations and institutional framework of Dakar’s 18km SUNUBRT, Africa’s first large-scale, fully electric BRT. The core purpose of the mission was to gain practical and strategic insights to inform the development of Addis Ababa’s planned 36.5 km e–BRT corridors (B3 and B4) especially emphasizing integration modalities between transport modes as well as assessment of electric buses as part of a crucial GGGI initiative.  

Visit to Dakar Mobilité operation center and SUNU-BRT depot 

Sustainable Urban Transport for Ethiopia: The e-BRT Project 

The GGGI Ethiopia delegation’s visit was conducted under the framework of the Sustainable Urban Transport Project for Ethiopia by Proposing Innovative Solutions for electric Bus Rapid Transit (e-BRT). This flagship project is designed to address severe urban transport challenges in Addis Ababa, home to 25% of Ethiopia’s urban population and a city undergoing rapid growth that faces critical issues related to poor access, high pollution, and costly congestion. The project aims to mobilize funding in investment to drastically reduce emissions and pollutants from the transport sector and support the transition toward zero-emission sustainable transport in Ethiopia, aligning with the country’s large scale decarbonization ambitions. 

Addis Ababa’s master plan envisions a total of 15 BRT corridors to provide a safe, convenient, and timely public mass transportation system. The B2 corridor’s construction is scheduled to kick off this year, and the foundation for the B6 project has already been laid, while prefeasibility studies for the B3 and B4 corridors are currently ongoing; GGGI is supporting the already developing prefeasibility study, which is backed by the Korean EXIM Bank, with detailed integration studies and documentation of electric buses, which overall shall bring a more integrated, state-of-the-art BRT system deployment in the city. These lines are expected to serve more than 400,000 residents, with a capacity of about 5,000 passengers per hour in each direction. 

Dakar BRT station and Corridors

Key Takeaways from the SUNU BRT Success 

The GGGI delegation engaged extensively with CETUD (designated urban mobility organizing authority for the metropolitan area of Dakar and its surroundings) and Dakar Mobilité (the private operator). Their examination covered institutional maturity, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models, fleet operations, infrastructure setup including road, depot and charging systems, and real-time operations, which included a full corridor ride-along and a Command Centre visit. Lucy Atim, GGGI Ethiopia Deputy Country Director, emphasized that, “Dakar’s SUNU BRT is a testament to what is possible in African mass transit,” noting the system is not only clean and efficient, cutting former journey times of two to three hours down to just 45 minutes, but is also financially sustainable and deeply integrated into the city’s urban planning. She concluded that its success clearly rests on disciplined public-private collaboration and strong institutional leadership. 

Pillars of Dakar’s Achievement 

Dakar’s success is built upon several critical elements. First, Institutional Excellence stemmed from a decade-long reform, resulting in CETUD’s evolution into a legally empowered, centralized transport authority, which enabled unified planning, strong enforcement, and successful multimodal integration before construction began. Second, the Smart PPP Structuring involved a 15-year concession with Dakar Mobilité (70% Meridiam, 30% FONSIS) that clearly delineates roles: the Public Sector finances infrastructure and manages asset renewal, while the Private Operator invests in e-buses, charging, operations, and advanced Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).  

Third, the Precision Operations and Technology were evident at the Command Centre, where real-time fleet management enforces strict 6-minute headways using advanced ITS software, while operational discipline, supported by a fully equipped depot with 80 charging stations and proactive maintenance, ensures high fleet reliability. Finally, the Passenger-Centric and Inclusive Design of the system prioritizes inclusion and safety through features like off-board fare collection, level boarding, real-time information screens, and a strong commitment to gender-inclusive staffing, with 40% women in operational roles. 

Visiting the SUNU-BRT depot and electric bus

A Blueprint for Addis Ababa 

For Addis Ababa’s planned B3 and B4 e-BRT corridors, the insights from Dakar provide an operationally grounded and financially realistic blueprint. The GGGI Ethiopia team is actively consolidating key lessons for immediate implementation. Furthermore, the successful model emphasizes embedding social and environmental safeguards, specifically proactive informal-sector integration and gender inclusion, as vital components.  

GGGI is committed to expanding innovative, low-carbon mobility solutions globally. GGGI Ethiopia supports the government’s transition toward a green economy, notably through the development of modern, electrified public transport systems like the planned e–BRT corridors. 

Read more about the project here: Sustainable Urban Transport Project for Ethiopia by Proposing Innovative Solutions for Electric Bus Rapid Transit (E-BRT) — Global Green Growth Institute  

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Media Contact

(GGGI Ethiopia) Tesfagebriel Tekola, Senior Communication Associate Tesfagebriel.endale@gggi.org  

Phone: +251900080862 

Photos ©Global Green Growth Institute