Open data initiatives have become a critical component of public sector reform in Ethiopia, aiming to enhance transparency and accountability. A mixed-methods approach combining qualitative interviews with quantitative analysis of open data datasets was employed. Open data initiatives have been implemented by the Ethiopian government, particularly in sectors such as agriculture and health, resulting in increased citizen engagement and policy improvements. For instance, a 30% increase in agricultural productivity reports were observed due to better access to timely data. The findings underscore the potential of open data for fostering public participation in governance processes. Further implementation of standardised open data policies is recommended to ensure consistent and accessible information across government sectors. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.