Addis Ababa, July 15, 2025 (FMC) — The 25th Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI) Finance Ministers Meeting was held in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 14, 2025, with a central focus on accelerating digital connectivity across the region.
Hosted at the African Development Bank (AfDB) headquarters, the high-level meeting brought together finance ministers to assess progress under the HoAI Digital Integration and Policy Matrix, adopted in 2023. Ethiopia was recognized as one of the strong performers in aligning national efforts with the initiative’s digital transformation goals.
In his remarks, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Finance, Eyob Tekalign, highlighted the country’s significant strides in digital integration. He outlined key reforms, including the liberalization of the telecom sector, the introduction of personal data protection and cybersecurity legislation, and the rapid expansion of national fiber-optic infrastructure.
Eyob also pointed to the successful rollout of Ethiopia’s digital ID system, which has already registered over 19 million citizens, and the remarkable growth of mobile financial services. He noted that Telebirr, the country’s mobile money platform, now boasts over 54 million users, with cumulative transactions exceeding 4.6 trillion Birr—an achievement that underscores Ethiopia’s commitment to deepening financial inclusion.
The State Minister further stressed the importance of regional energy interconnectivity in supporting digital transformation and expressed gratitude to development partners for their continued support of the Horn of Africa’s integration agenda.
The meeting was chaired by Somalia’s Minister of Finance, Bihi Iman Egeh, and co-chaired by Nnenna Nwabufo, Vice President for Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery at the African Development Bank.