 The emperor Menelik II rewarded Ilg with the title "counselor in the range of an excellency" in 1897 and, furthermore, named him minister of foreign affairs for the years 1897 to 1907.He showed his competence as an engineer when planning and implementing the railway line from Djibouti to the capital.He was also responsible for supervising the design and construction of the first piped water supply to the capital and for installing electrical power in the imperial palace in 1905.