Feature Commentary: The Timeless Charge of a Pioneer – Unpacking Kebede Anissa’s “Ethiopia, Lead the Way”

In the annals of Ethiopian journalism, certain phrases transcend the newsprint they were born on to become part of the nation’s political lexicon. One such phrase is “Ethiopia, Lead the Way” (ኢትዮጵያ ትቅደም). Its author, Kebede Anissa, was not just a journalist but a pioneering educator and civil servant whose life of service spanned nearly four decades. Yet, it is this three-word editorial headline, conceived in 1957—nine years before the Derg regime—that captures his enduring, forward-looking patriotism and offers a lens through which to view Ethiopia’s perennial struggle with its own potential.

Kebede Anissa’s credentials were formidable. A product of Wollega and the prestigious Teacher’s College in Addis Ababa, he furthered his studies in journalism in Cyprus, Israel, and the United States. He served his nation as a teacher, school director, inspector, and in various ministerial roles for 37 years. But it was in the newsrooms of Voice of Ethiopia, The Ethiopian Herald, and as a stringer for Voice of America that his sharp intellect and profound love for his country found its most public voice.

The story of the headline’s creation, as recalled by his close friend and Reuters journalist Tsegaye Tadesse, is illuminating. When Emperor Haile Selassie himself inquired about its meaning, Kebede’s response was straightforward yet profound: “Because I love Ethiopia, and because I respect its people, I want to see my country ahead in everything.” This was not jingoistic bravado. It was a statement of aspirational faith—a belief that Ethiopia, with its ancient history and resilient people, should not be a follower but a standard-setter, a pioneer on the African continent and the world stage.

The potency of the phrase lies in its timelessness and its quiet rebuke. Coined in 1957, it was a charge for a nation at a crossroads, on the cusp of both modernisation and immense internal upheaval. It speaks to a moment of possibility. Today, decades later, in a vastly different Ethiopia grappling with complex challenges, the phrase still resonates. It asks every generation: Are we leading? Are we innovating, governing justly, and building a society that others look to? Or are we merely managing crises and following paths laid by others?

Kebede Anissa’s life and his signature phrase represent a brand of patriotism that is often in short supply: one rooted in service, expertise, and a constructive, forward-driving vision. It is the antithesis of a narrow, defensive nationalism. His was a call to excellence, to dignity, and to assume a place of leadership earned not by rhetoric but by achievement and just conduct.

In remembering figures like Kebede Anissa, we do more than honor a pioneering journalist. We reclaim a vocabulary of national ambition that is both demanding and hopeful. “Ethiopia, Lead the Way” is not a description of a past glory but a perpetual assignment. It is a benchmark against which policies, leaders, and societal progress can be measured. As Ethiopia continues to navigate its complex future, the quiet, confident charge of this veteran civil servant and journalist remains as relevant as ever: a reminder that the goal is not just to endure, but to excel; not just to participate, but to pioneer. The mandate, it seems, is still active.